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GEORGE  :  WELLS «  ARMES 
MEMORIAL  LIBRARY  *  *  * 
ST1LE5  HALL .  .  BERKELEY 


§isi 


LIBRARY 

OF  THF. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

GIF^X  OK 

r  M-  c-  A.OF  jtj.0. 

Accession     101806  Class 


mm 


PL 


L 


OR, 

INVISIBLE  THINGS  UNDERSTOOD  BY  THINGS 
THAT  ARE  MADE. 

B  Y 

CHRISTIAN    SCRIVER, 

MINISTER  OF  MAGDEBURG  IN  1671. 


Cranslateb  from  fyt 


German  (Bbxiion, 


THE    REV.    ROBERT    MENZIES, 

HODDAM,     ENGLAND. 


"  Find  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 
Sermons  in  stones,  and  GOD  in  everything." 

I   UNIVERSITY 


BOSTON: 

GOULD     AND     LINCOLN, 

59     WASHINGTON      STKBIT. 

NEW   YORK:    SHELDON   AND    COMPANY. 
CINCINNATI:  GEORGE  S.  BLANCIIARD. 

1  860. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1859,  by 

GOULD    AND    LINCOLN, 
lu  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


A  N  D  O  V  E  R  : 
BLECTROTYJ'ED     BV     W .     F.    DRAPER. 


AMERICAN   PUBLISHERS'  NOTE. 


IN  introducing  GOTTHOLD'S  EMBLEMS  to  the  American  public, 
the  publishers  feel  assured  it  will  receive  a  cordial  welcome  from 
Christian  readers.  It  is,  indeed,  a  matter  of  surprise,  that  a  work 
of  such  preeminent  merit  should  have  circulated  in  German  homes 
for  nearly  two  centuries,  without  finding  an  English  translator.  Its 
popularity  in  Germany,  on  its  first  appearance,  was  not  inferior 
to  that  of  the  best  productions  of  Luther,  in  the  previous  century. 
More  than  twenty  editions  were  rapidly  issued,  to  meet  the  eager 
demand ;  and  when  at  length  it  had  fallen  into  a  temporary  oblivion, 
the  extraordinary  value  attached  to  stray  copies  by  the  families  in 
which  they  were  heir-looms,  made  it  difficult  for  an  editor  to  obtain 
a  single  copy,  even  for  use  in  preparing  a  new  edition.  The  pub- 
lishers are  not  aware  that  any  work  of  its  precise  character  is  to 
be  found  in  the  English  language,  and  they  feel  assured  it  will 
supply  an  important  defect  in  our  devotional  literature.  It  will 


101806 


IV  AMERICAN  PUBLISHERS'  NOTE. 

aid  devout  Christians  to  look  with  open  eye  on  the  wonderful 
works  of  God,  which  need  to  be  "  sought  out  of  all  them  that  have 
pleasure  therein."  The  inspired  writers  found  a  stimulus  to  pro- 
found Christian  feeling  in  the  contemplation  of  the  works  of  nature ; 
and  the  psalmist  and  prophets  soared  to  their  sublimest  flights  of 
devotion,  when  listening  to  the  mystic  strains  in  which  the  heavens 
and  earth  and  the  great  deep  chanted  the  praises  of  God.  Every 
thoughtful  Christian  ought  to  see,  like  them,  in  his  daily  walks,  con- 
vincing proof  that  the  God  of  nature  is  also  the  God  of  the  Bible, 
and  find  his  soul  quickened  to  praise  by  beautiful  and  suggestive 
emblems  of  a  wise  and  loving  and  omnipotent  Creator. 

The  volume  has  been  prepared  from  the  English  edition  in  two 
volumes.  The  order  of  the  English  translator  has  not,  in  all  cases, 
been  strictly  adhered  to ;  and  a  few  of  the  "  meditations,"  which 
seemed  less  freighted  with  devotional  feelings,  and  whose  subjects  or 
mode  of  treatment  might  be  thought  objectionable  by  some  fastidious 
readers,  have  been  omitted. 

If  the  work  shall  be  received  with  that  favor  which  the  publishers 
anticipate,  it  will  be  followed  by  a  second  volume,  compiled  from 
other  "  meditations,"  some  of  which  have  not  yet  been  translated. 


*  to0rh  which  is  here  presented  to  the  English 
reader  belongs  to  a  class  of  which  the  import- 
ation from  Germany  into  this  country  has  been  compar- 
atively small.  We  have  received  large  supplies  of  her 
scientific  theology,  in  the  shape  of  expositions  of  Scrip- 
ture and  histories  of  the  Church  and  its  doctrine.  We 
have  also  received  a  few  admirable  specimens  of  her 
practical  divinity,  such  as  the  Sermons  of  Krummacher. 
But,  with  her  strictly  devotional  literature,  we  are,  as 
yet,  with  the  solitary  though  noble  exception  of  Bogatz- 
ky's  "Golden  Treasury,"  almost  entirely  unacquainted. 
This,  however,  is  just  the  field  in  which  the  deep  senti- 
ment which  forms  the  prominent  feature  in  the  character 
of  the  nation,  and  lends  so  powerful  a  charm  to  their 
poetry  and  music,  seems  peculiarly  to  fit  the  Germans  to 
excel,  —  nay,  it  is  the  field  in  which  they  have  in  fact 
excelled.  Their  literature  is  rich  in  works  addressed  to 
the  religious  affections,  and  designed  to  feed  the  lamp 


VI  TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 

of  faith,  and  fan  the  flame  of  devotion  in  the  heart,  and 
which  occupy,  in  their  pious  families,  the  place  occupied 
in  our  own  by  the  "  Saint's  Everlasting  Rest,"  Docl- 
dridge's  "Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the  Soul," 
Flavel's  "Token  for  Mourners,"  and  Hervey's  "Medita- 
tions." For  instance,  Dr.  Tholuck's  Stunden  der  Andacht 
stands  preeminent  among  all  modern  productions  of  this 
class.  It  is  a  work  without  a  rival  in  any  language,  and 
loudly  calls  for  some  skilful  pen  to  transplant  it  worthily 
into  our  own.  And  here  is  another,  nearly  two  centuries 
old,  but  still  instinct  with  the  vigor  and  freshness  of  youth, 
which  reappears,  like  the  spirit  of  a  departed  saint,  and 
claims  audience,  while,  in  accents  strangely  sweet  and 
solemn,  it  discourses  to  us  of  eternal  things. 

To  satisfy  the  natural  curiosity  of  the  reader,  the  follow- 
ing particulars  respecting  the  author  and  his  work  are 
premised.  They  are  borrowed  from  the  twenty-eighth 
edition  of  it,  which  was  published  at  Barmen  in  1846,  and 
is  the  one  from  which  the  present  translation  has  been 
made. 

Christian  Scriver  was  born  on  the  2d  January,  1629,  at 
Rendsburg,  studied  at  Rostock,  was  appointed  deacon  at 
Stendal  in  1653,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St.  James',  at 
Magdeburg,  in  1667,  and  court  preacher  and  consistorial 
councillor  at  Quedlinburg  in  1690,  where,  on  the  5th  of 
April,  1693,  he  departed  this  life. 


TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE.  VII 

The  honors  and  applause  paid  by  his  contemporaries  to 
this  richly  gifted  minister  of  the  pure  word  of  God,  are 
almost  without  a  parallel.  Not  only  was  he  so  precious 
and  dear  to  his  congregation  at  Magdeburg,  that,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  public  testimony,  at  parting  from  them, 
they  would,  if  possible,  "  have  plucked  out  and  given  him 
their  eyes;"  but  he  inspired  the  warmest  affection  in 
Christian  brethren,  in  quarters  far  beyond  the  narrow 
limits  of  his  personal  labors,  and  frequently  received  from 
them  addresses  full  of  acknowledgment  and  gratitude. 
The  Queen  of  Sweden  (at  that  time  the  first  and  most 
powerful  Protestant  kingdom  in  the  world)  invited  him  to 
be  her  spiritual  guide  and  court  preacher  at  Stockholm; 
and  he  wept,  and  was  inconsolable,  when,  feeling  the  in- 
firmities of  age,  and  prompted  by  modesty  and  attachment 
to  his  flock  and  sorely  afflicted  fatherland,  he  declined  the 
honorable  call.  The  most  eminent  theologians  of  the  day 
also  looked  up  to  him  with  boundless  esteem,  and  humbly 
yielded  the  palm  to  one  who  was  himself  the  humblest  of 
them  all.  The  celebrated  Spener  often  extolled  Scriver,  and 
says,  "  In  him  I  am  sensible  of  a  much  richer  measure  of 
grace  than  has  been  allotted  to  myself."  In  one  passage, 
he  longs  for  the  opportunity  of  once  more,  in  this  present 
life,  seeing  and  conversing  with  that  chosen  friend  of  God, 
as  a  mercy  for  which  he  would  require  specially  to  thank 
the  Lord.  Dr.  Pritius,  J.  F.  Buddeus,  and  Chr.  Eb.  Weis- 


VIII  TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 

mann,  in  writings  that  survive,  are,  in  like  manner,  full  of 
his  praise.  The  last  designates  him  as  "  an  excellent  in- 
strument of  God,  a  man  of  genuine  piety,  holy  eloquence, 
spiritual  discernment,  and  fascinating  power."  Scriver's 
numerous  writings  were  read,  applauded,  and  almost  de- 
voured, wherever  the  German  language  was  known,  and 
the  evangelical  church  possessed  living  members ;  and  the 
principal  of  them  passed  through  numerous  editions,  even 
after  the  author's  death. 

That  Scriver  was  afterwards,  for  a  long  time,  almost 
forgotten,  arose,  no  doubt,  partly  from  the  ascendency 
gained,  in  many  ways,  by  infidelity,  and  partly,  also,  from 
the  gradual  progress  made,  and  the  changes  undergone,  by 
the  German  language,  while  no  one  appeared  capable  of 
judiciously  applying  a  helping  hand,  in  this  respect,  to  the 
works  of  our  author,  whose  language,  notwithstanding, 
may  to  this  day  be,  in  numberless  passages,  designated 
truly  classical. 

It  appears  as  if  he  had  had  a  presentiment  of  the  fate 
of  his  books,  when,  in  a  meditation,  he  says :  "  All  things 
shall  be  alike  to  me,  be  they  lofty,  or  be  they  low ;  favor 
and  affliction,  honor  and  disgrace ;  whichever  accords  with 
Thy  most  sweet  and  holy  pleasure.  Come  on,  world !  toss 
me  to  and  fro,  up  and  down,  on  the  bench  or  under  it, 
into  the  light  or  into  the  dark  corner.  To  me  it  is  the 
same ;  toss  me  where  thou  wilt,  there  shall  my  God  find 


TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE.  IX 

me,  and  thence  will  He  one  day  draw  me  forth."  This  is 
exactly  what  he  has  experienced  in  his  writings.  He  was 
tossed  to  and  fro,  up  and  down,  under  the  bench,  and  into 
the  dark  corner,  but  God  has  again  brought  him  forth  into 
the  light. 

His  works  had  entirely  disappeared  out  of  the  book- 
sellers' shops,  when  some  stray  copies  of  them,  almost 
entirely  decayed,  and  secretly  valued  by  their  owners  as 
the  legacy  of  pious  ancestors,1  but  generally  despised,  ridi- 
culed, and  rejected,  fell  into  the  hands  of  some  Christian 
and  judicious  men,  who  were  not  deterred  from  reading 
and  examining  them,  either  by  the  dust  which  time  had 
accumulated  on  their  boards,  or  yet  by  the  partially  anti- 
quated language  of  the  contents.  They  instantly  felt  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  and  of  genuine  Christianity,  breathed 
out  of  the  sallow  pages,  —  and  began  to  vie  with  each 
other,  and  with  his  admirers  of  a  bygone  age,  in  praising 
and  applauding  the  author.  "  Scriver,"  says  one  of  them, 
"  is  luminous  as  the  Alpine  peaks,  when  the  sun  rises  in 
his  grandeur;  sharp  as  the  sword  of  Gideon,  sweet  as 
honey  and  the  honeycomb,  gentle  as  vernal  dew  in  the 
glimmer  of  the  moon,  fruitful  as  a  garden  which  God  has 
blessed,  and  Christian  as  an  apostle."  "Confessions  of 

l  The  editor  of  the  twenty-third  edition  of  GoTTHOLD's  EMBLEMS  states,  as 
one  of  his  difficulties,  the  impossibility  of  procuring  a  copy  of  the  work,  as 
the  parties  who  possessed  it  refused  to  part  with  it  for  any  price ! 


X  TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 

Faith,"  as  another  testifies,  "  can  hinder  no  one  from  draw- 
ing from  this  fountain ;  for  Scriver  was  a  Christian,  and 
lived  upon  the  heights  of  Christianity  —  high  above  the 
strifes  of  pride."  To  collect  all  that  has  been  said  or  writ- 
ten in  his  praise,  would  fill  a  volume.  We  cannot,  how- 
ever, refrain  from  quoting  a  few  detached  sentences  from 
the  most  recent  biography  of  Scriver,  by  Pastor  Brauns, 
written  generally  in  a  strain  of  almost  hymnal  panegyric. 
"  Scriver,"  it  is  said,  "  had  no  equal  in  his  day.  In  the 
spacious  halls  of  Scripture,  he  wanders  up  and  down,  more 
at  home  than  in  his  own  house.  He  plays  on  its  thousand 
strings,  like  David  on  his  harp,  without  one  false  note.  He 
is  never  beneath  and  never  above,  but  always  at  the  vital 
centre  of  the  word.  From  that  the  stream  of  his  discourse 
flows  forth,  clear  as  the  crystal  spring  of  Siloa,  and  strong 
as  the  flood  of  Jordan,  descending  from  Lebanon  through 
the  flowery  borders  of  the  Holy  Land.  His  preaching  is  a 
tempest  in  the  sky,  a  gentle  May  shower  dropping  through 
the  sunshine  upon  the  parched  land,  gleams  of  lightning, 
that  terrify  the  night ;  peals  of  thunder  making  the  earth 
tremble  under  the  foot  of  the  traveller.  But  come  and 
see.  Do  more;  read  the  works  of  this  old  Psalmist."  — 
"As  the  fruit  of  his  unparalleled  familiarity  with  Scrip- 
ture, and  a  faith  in  it  so  firm,  that,  far  from  excluding  any 
essential  part,  he  will  not  so  much  as  pass  a  letter  with 
indifference,  Scriver  evinces  a  profound  piety,  conscious  at 


TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE.  XI 

every  moment,  and  in  every  place,  of  being  encompassed, 
upheld,  and  cherished  by  God,  and  which  visibly  sees  and 
palpably  feels  His  universal  agency.  In  short,  a  conscious- 
ness of  the  Deity  is  as  much  his  vital  element,  as  water  is 
to  the  fish.  A  bird  in  the  air,  a  flower  by  the  wayside, 
every  thorn-bush  he  meets,  arrests  him ;  he  cannot  choose, 
but  stop  and  contemplate,  adore  and  exult."  "  Scriver  is 
always  before  God,  in  God,  and  with  God.  God  is  present 
to  him  in  nature,  in  history,  in  every  occurrence,  however 
trivial  and  unimportant.  The  Divine  Being,  Will,  Decrees, 
and  Grace,  it  is  the  equally  delightful  and  imperative  task 
of  his  life  to  discover  in  all  that  is  or  happens,  to  proclaim 
with  gratitude  and  praise,  and  emphatically  to  recommend 
for  the  elevation  of  the  heart."  "As  he  gazes,  listens,  and 
sinks  his  affections  into  the  infinity  of  the  Divine  love, 
Scriver  is  sometimes,  as  it  were,  transported  out  of  himself. 
Intoxicated  with  the  vision  of  God,  his  whole  being  dis- 
solves into  love,  gratitude,  and  praise."  "  His  life  was  a 
life  in  God.  As  he  could  not  but  eat  and  drink,  so  he 
could  not  but  pray.  To  omit  this  duty,  or  regard  it  as 
useless,  is  to  him  an  abhorrence  and  abomination.  A  holy 
anger  seizes  him  when  his  eye  alights  upon  the  atheists  of 
his  day."  "  If  any  clergyman  needs  a  spiritual  guide,  let 
him  choose  Scriver.  He  is  the  preacher  for  preachers,  full 
of  consolation  and  encouragement  to  the  well-meaning,  but 
a  storm  of  hail  to  the  faithless  and  slothful  pastor." 


XII  TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 

"  The  Emblems  (or,  according  to  their  original  title,  "  In- 
cidental Devotions  ")  form  a  costly  set  of  pure  and  genu- 
ine diamonds,  and  each  of  them  reflecting  heaven.  It  is 
a  book  for  all  men,  from  the  beggar  on  his  pallet  of  straw, 
to  the  prince  upon  his  throne." — (Pastor  Wimmer.) 
"With  a  strangely  child-like  eye,  and  charming  lips,  Scri- 
ver  leads  us  forth  into  nature,  as  into  a  vault  of  mirrors, 
from  which  the  image  of  God  everywhere  shines  forth." 
— (The  Berlin  Literarische  Zeitung.)  "In  these  medita- 
tions, Scriver  displays  a  talent  for  discovering  in  the  leaf 
of  the  tree,  and  in  the  flower  by  the  wayside,  the  great- 
ness, glory,  and  infinitude  of  the  Divine  love,  and  intro- 
duces nature,  on  every  occasion,  as  an  ambassadress  sent 
by  God  for  our  instruction,  consolation,  and  warning ;  and 
this  he  does  with  an  artlessness  and  simplicity,  of  which 
we  shall  hardly  find  a  parallel  in  the  whole  circle  of  our 
books  of  devotion." — (Pastor  Brauns.)  We  have  ex- 
cluded a  number  of  pieces  and  paragraphs  which  seemed 
of  less  general  interest,  and  in  others  have  with  a  cautious 
hand  smoothed  the  asperities  of  language. 

The  translator  has  only  to  add,  that  the  rest  of  the 
Meditations  will  be  forthcoming,  in  due  time,  if  there  shall 
appear  to  be  any  wish  on  the  part  of  the  public  to  receive 
them. 


DEDICATION. 


(x)0,u  !  from  this  time  at  which  he  now  completes  his 
work,  and  gives  it  to  the  light,  it  is  just  a  year  since  Thy  ser- 
vant was  at  the  point  of  death,  and  in  the  eyes  of  many  was  even  already 
dead.  I  had  brought  the  "  Incidental  Devotions  "  down  as  far  as  "  The 
Rod,"  when  it  pleased  Thee  to  judge  me  worthy  of  experiencing  the  truth 
of  what  I  had  written  concerning  it.  My  strength  departed,  my  coun- 
tenance became  wan  and  emaciated,  my  tongue  cleaved  for  weakness 
to  the  roof  of  my  mouth,  and  could  scarcely  tell  the  physicians  how 
sorely  parched  my  body  was  with  fever.  My  nails  were  white.  Faint 
and  scarcely  audible  was  the  beating  of  my  heart.  I  had  bid  farewell 
to  my  dear  friends,  and  with  joyful  longing  (as  Thou  knowest)  counted 
the  hours,  after  the  lapse  of  which  I  hoped  to  be  with  Thee,  and 
to  enjoy  Thine  ineffable  glory.  There  were  believing  souls,  however, 
who,  with  a  thousand  tears  and  sighs,  lay  prostrate  at  Thy  feet,  and 


XIV  DEDICATION. 

implored  of  Thee  to  spare  my  life.  And  so  it  seemed  good  to  Thy 
mercy  to  add  to  the  number  of  my  years.  Thou  didst  strengthen  and 
raise  me  up.  I  was  made  a  miracle  and  monument  of  Thine  Almighty 
power  and  goodness.  Thou  hast  showed  to  myself  and  others  that 
our  God  is  the  God  of  salvation,  and  that  with  God  the  Lord  belong 
the  issues  from  death.  What  else,  then,  can  I  do,  but  thank  Thee 
for  Thy  faithfulness  ?  My  lips  and  my  soul,  which  Thou  hast  redeemed, 
shall  rejoice  in  Thee,  and  sing  Thy  praise;  and  to  Thee  this  life, 
mercifully  granted  a  second  time,  shall  be  henceforth  consecrated. 

It  is  true,  0  my  Father!  that  a  worse  thing  afterwards  befel  me. 
One  cross  was  made  to  succeed  another.  Thou  tookest  away  the  delight 
of  mine  eyes,  I  could  have  said  of  my  heart,  had  I  not  thought  such 
a  name  too  much  for  a  mortal  creature.  I  had  received  from  Thee 
an  image  which  I  bore  about  in  my  bosom,  as  the  visible  mark  of 
Thy  favor,  and  loved  it  for  the  graces  and  virtues  which  Thou  hadst 
impressed  upon  it.  Alas,  my  God!  well  do  I  remember  how  the  dear 
soul,  when  she  saw  my  danger,  cast  herself  upon  her  face  before  Thee, 
and  with  so  many  deep  sighs  and  burning  tears,  offered  her  life  as 
the  ransom  for  mine,  —  how  she  forgot  herself,  and  had  no  eyes  but 
for  Thee  and  me  —  for  Thee,  from  whom  she  expected  consolation  and 
help  —  for  me,  whose  life  her  love  to  Thee  and  myself  made  her 


DEDICATION.  XV 

prefer  to  her  own.  And  Thou  wert  pleased  to  make  the  exchange  — 
leaving  me  among  mortals  to  serve  Thee  and  the  church  militant,  but 
enrolling  her,  to  Thy  eternal  glory,  among  the  immortals  of  the  church 
triumphant.  Thou  hast  delivered  her  soul  from  anguish  and  death, 
her  eyes  from  tears,  and  her  feet  from  falling,  and  now  she  walks 
before  Thee  in  the  land  of  life.  Dear  was  she  to  me,  as  Thou  knowest, 
above  all  things  in  or  of  this  world,  the  sun  and  joy  of  my  house. 
What  more  should  Thy  servant  say?  Lord,  Thou  seest  how  my  heart 
fills  at  this  remembrance,  and  how  it  melts  me  into  tears.  And  yet 
why  should  I  weep  for  one  from  whose  eyes  all  tears  have  been  wiped 
away?  Why  mourn  for  her  who  shall  mourn  no  more?  Why  sigh 
for  a  saint  who  has  left  behind  her  in  this  world  a  blessed  and  holy 
memorial,  and  is  now  amid  the  choirs  of  angels,  singing  the  new  song 
with  Thine  elect,  and  exulting  in  Thy  salvation?  I  have  lost  a  jewel 
in  time,  but  I  know  it  is  kept  in  heaven,  and  I  hope  to  recover  it 
there,  and  to  lose  it  no  more  forever. 

It  was  amidst  these  and  other  crosses  that  the  following  meditations 
sprang  up,  and  made  their  appearance,  like  flowers  beneath  a  thorny 
hedge.  If  they  possess  any  scent  of  life,  any  power  of  Thy  Spirit, 
any  of  the  honey  of  Thy  goodness,  which  believing  souls,  like  hungry 

bees,  assiduously  seek,  to  Thee,  0  Father!  and  to  the  dear  Cross,  be 

2 


XVI  DEDICATION. 

all  the  thanks.  At  Thy  feet  I  now  humbly  lay  this  bunch  of  flowers 
of  affliction,  asking  of  Thee  one  only  boon,  which  is,  that  Thou  wilt 
now  and  forever  be  my  gracious  God  and  Father.  For  whom  have  I 
in  heaven  but  Thee?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  whom  I  desire 
beside  Thee. 

THY   SERVANT  FOREVER, 

CHRISTIAN    SCRIVER. 
MAQDEBURG,  16th  AUGUST,  1671. 


10  tte 


in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  I  here  present  to  you  a  collection  of  de- 
vout thoughts,  which  suggested  themselves  on  various 
occasions  to  a  fellow-pilgrim,  called  Gotthold,  and  which 
I  received  from  his  mouth,  and  have  taken  the  pains  to 
write  down. 

For  this  I  desire  no  other  praise  save  that  which  it  well 
becomes  a  Christian  preacher  and  minister  of  the  Word 
to  seek  —  the  praise  of  faithfully  and  diligently  promoting 
the  glory  of  his  God,  and  the  good  of  his  neighbor. 

My  object  in  this  book  was  to  make  the  creatures 
converse  with  thee,  or  rather  to  expound  and  interpret 
their  secret  language,  and,  according  to  my  poor  ability, 
show  how  all  kinds  of  objects,  incidents,  and  events,  may 
be  made  to  remind  thee  of  thy  God,  and  to  promote  thy 
comfort  and  growth  in  Christianity.  We  read  with  won- 


XVIII  AUTHOR'S   ADDRESS 

der  how  Balaam's  ass  spoke;  it  seems  to  me,  however, 
that  the  irrational,  and  even  the  dumb  creatures,  all  speak 
to  us,  from  day  to  day,  and  from  hour  to  hour,  if  only 
we  have  ears  to  hear,  and  hearts  to  understand  them. 
How  otherwise  could  Job  say,  "Ask  now  the  beasts,  and 
they  shall  teach  thee :  and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  they 
shall  tell  thee;  or  speak  to  the  earth,  and  it  shall  teach 
thee;  and  the  fishes  of  the  sea  shall  declare  unto  thee"?1 
or  David  aver  that  "The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of 

God,  and  the  firmament  showeth  His  handiwork"?2 

' 

Long  ago  it  used  to  be  said  that  there  was  a  noble- 
in  France,  in  whose  domains  all  the  wood  and 
stone,  when  split  or  hewn,  bore  the  owner's  coat-of-arms, 
depicted  upon  them  by  nature.  I  shall  not  inquire  into 
the  truth  of  the  story;  but  at  least  it  is  certain,  that 
the  man  of  piety  and  observation  finds  in  all  the  creatures 
the  mark,  name,  and  arms,  of  his  benign  and  merciful 
God,  and,  in  these,  occasions  more  fervently  to  love  and 
praise  Him.  The  Book  of  Nature  —  to  say  the  same 
thing  in  other  words  —  has  many  thousand  leaves,  upon 
all  of  which  the  finger  of  God  has  inscribed  His  good- 
ness, and  He  scatters  them  in  every  place,  that  we  may 

1  Job  xii.  7,  8.  2  Ps.  xix.  1. 


TO    THE   READER.  XIX 

never  want  the  opportunity  of  contemplating  the  height 
and  depth  of  His  love.  Happy  the  man  who  reads,  and 
devoutly  meditates  upon  them!^/ 

It  appears  to  me  as  if  every  morning  I  beheld  for  the 
first  time  this  vast  theatre  of  the  Divine  miracles,  the 
world.  Every  morning  His  mercy  is  new  to  me.  I  am 
never  satisfied  with  beholding  the  displays  of  His  glory 
alike  in  the  mighty  firmament,  the  spangled  heavens,  and 
other  such  immense  bodies,  as  in  small  and  humble  ob- 
jects. It  happens  to  me  like  the  hen,  who  frequently 
finds  a  grain  of  wheat  even  upon  a  dunghill. 

Let  no  one  imagine  that  by  compositions  of  this  kind 
I  introduce  a  novelty.  No;  the  devout  contemplation 
of  nature,  and  "  Incidental  Devotions,"  are  as  old  as  the 
world.  Even  Adam,  the  first  whom  the  Most  High  en- 
feofted  into  the  possession  of  the  globe,  read  upon  all  its 
objects  the  name  of  His  Creator,  and,  like  the  bee,  tasted 
the  sweetness  of  His  love  in  every  little  flower.  The 
Lord  Himself  set  up  the  rainbow  in  the  clouds  for  the 
contemplation  of  Noah,  and  brought  Abraham  abroad  in 
the  night,  and  bade  him  look  to  the  starry  heavens. 
And,  doubtless,  it  was  no  superficial  glance  which  the 
holy  patriarchs  took  of  the  creation ;  doubtless  they, 


XX  AUTHOR'S    ADDRESS 

too,    found    in   it    themes    for    devout    reflection    of   all 
kinds. 

King  David,  as  it  appears,  composed  the  forty-second 
psalm  while  listening  to  the  lowing  of  the  deer  in  the 
wilderness,  to  which  he  was  forced  to  flee  for  shelter 
and  concealment.  Even  He  who  was  the  greatest  and 
most  exalted  of  all  teachers,  has  not  only  directed  us  to 
contemplate  the  creation,  but  Himself  endeavored  from 
every  casual  object  to  reap  instruction  for  Plis  hearers, 
and,  by  the  things  which  perish,  to  acquaint  them  with 
the  things  which  endure.  As  He  sat  upon  a  well,  He 
began  to  speak  to  the  Samaritan  woman  of  the  water 
which  springeth  up  unto  eternal  life.1  While  walking,  as 
is  supposed,  out  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  He  observed 
the  vineyards  and  clusters  by  the  wayside,  and  took 
occasion  to  compare  Himself  to  a  vine,  His  heavenly 
Father  to  the  husbandman,  and  His  followers  to  the 
branches.2  On  the  last  day  of  the  Feast  of  Taberna- 
cles, He  saw  the  Jews  drawing  water  from  the  fountain 
of  Siloam,  and  began  to  testify  to  them  once  more  of 
spiritual  and  living  water ;  and,  being  invited  to  a  feast, 
He  embraced  the  opportunity  to  discourse  of  the  great 

1  John  iv.  6,  etc.  2  John  xv.  1,  etc. 


TO    THE    EEADER.  XXI 

Gospel  Supper.1  In  the  same  way,  the  Apostle  Paul 
took  the  hint  from  the  altar  of  the  Athenians  to  preach 
of  the  one  living  and  true  God. 

In  subsequent  and  even  more  recent  times,  many  able, 
pious,  and  learned  divines  have  trodden  in  the  footsteps 
of  those  forerunners,  as  might  be  exemplified  by  instances, 
were  it  not  superfluous. 

No  one  surely  will  censure  the  attempt  to  prevent  evil 
thoughts,  and  supply  their  place  by  promoting,  on  every 
occasion,  serious  and  devout  reflection  upon  God  and 
divine  things.  My  hope  at  least  is,  that  the  reader  of 
this  book,  when  he  afterwards  meets  with  any  of  the 
objects  here  made  the  theme  of  meditation,  will  recall 
one  or  more  of  the  thoughts.  Perhaps,  too,  even  the 
preacher  may  learn  from  it,  when  in  company,  or  at  a 
feast,  in  his  walks,  or  on  his  travels,  how  to  entertain 
those  around  him  with  the  same  kind  of  pleasant,  and 
yet  profitable  discourse,  and  so  help  to  make  them  better 
Christians.  He  has  but  to  erect  his  pulpit,  as  I  have 
done,  wherever  necessity  or  duty  demands,  remembering 
that  it  is  possible  to  speak  the  truth  to  every  one  in  par- 
ticular without,  as  well  as  within,  the  walls  of  a  church ; 

Luke  xiv.  16. 


XXII        AUTHOR'S  ADDRESS    TO    THE  READER. 

but  that  this  must  be  done  with  discretion  as  well  as 
piety,  if  what  he  says  and  teaches  is  to  have  the  right 
flavor.  When  medicine  is  to  be  taken  by  a  sickly  infant, 
the  best  way  is  to  give  it  first  to  the  nurse,  from  whom 
the  child  imbibes  it  insensibly  with  her  milk.  This  duty 
of  the  nurse  the  preacher  must  often  perform,  and  convert 
into  milk  the  medicines  he  prescribes ;  I  mean  he  must 
administer  them  in  an  agreeable  form  and  courteous  way, 
in  the  right  season,  and  at  the  proper  time. 

My  intentions  at  least  were  good,  and  though  the  suc- 
cess may  not  in  every  case  correspond  with  the  pious 
reader's  wish,  he  will  yet  take  the  will  for  the  deed,  as 
becomes  a  Christian,  and  out  of  his  own  fulness  supply 
my  lack.  The  Lord  bless  and  prosper  all  the  good  and 
well-intentioned  labors  of  his  faithful  ministers,  and  grant 
that  they  may  prove  neither  fruitless  nor  unrequited ! 

M.  CHRISTIAN   SCRIVER. 
MAGDEBURG,  1671. 


PAGE 

THE  DIAL-PLATE, 31 

THE  SNOW- BALL, 33 

THE  COLD, .         .  34 

SNOW, 35 

THE  MONEY-SCALES, 37 

THE  DROWNED  MAN,           .........  38 

THE  TWO  MIRRORS, 40 

THE  SENSIBLE  WIFE, 41 

THE  POVERTY  OF  THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  RICH,        ...  43 

THE  OPEN  SMELLING-BOTTLE, 44 

THE  DIAMOND, 45 

THE  CHURCH   SPIRES, 46 

THE  MOTE  IN  THE  EYE, 47 

THE   LOCK, 48 

THE  GOLDEN   CANDLESTICK, 49 

THE  DRINKING-CUP, 50 

THE  MONK   IN  SOLITUDE,      .        . 51 

THE  UNKNOWN   FRIEND,  52 


XXIV  CONTENTS. 

PAOK 

THE  COPY-LINE, 53 

DANCING, 55 

THE   WATCHMAKER, 56 

THE  BLUSHING   CHILD, 57 

MUTUAL  AID, 58 

RAIMENT, 59 

THE  MILKY  WAY, 61 

THE  MAGNET, 62 

HANS   PRIEM, 63 

THE  FRUIT  TREES, 64 

GOING  TO  CHURCH, 66 

THE  NOTE-BOOK, 68 

THE  POST, 69 

THE  SAILORS, 71 

THE  BED  OF  FLOWERS, 72 

THE  VIOLET, 74 

THE  CABINET  OF  CURIOSITIES, 75 

THE  LOST  OBJECT, 76 

THE  LUTE,            77 

THE  LUTE  (SECOND  MKDITATIOK), 78 

THE  PICTURE,             79 

THE  STRAIGHT  AND  THE  CROOKED  TREE,         ....  80 

THE  SUN  DIAL, 82 

THE  DEER, 83 

ELECTION,            85 

THE  TREES  IN  WINTER,      .                86 

THE  MOLE, 87 

TUE  LISTENER,  88 


CONTENTS.  XXV 

PAGE 

THE  EYE  THAT  DOES  NOT  SEE  ITSELF, 90 

THE  YOUNG  LAMB, 91 

THE  BEST  CHAMBER, 92 

THE  SOARING   LARK, 94 

THE  HEN, 95 

THE  EARTHEN   CLOD, 96 

SUBSIDED   MUD, 97 

THE  CHILD'S   GIFT, 95 

THE  STORK, 100 

THE  TRANSPLANTED  LIME, 102 

THE  PLANT  IN  THE  CELLAR, 104 

THE  ROSE, 105 

THE  CAGED  BIRD, 107 

THE  TREES  IN  BLOSSOM,            109 

THE  TREES  IN  BLOSSOM  AND  THE  BEES, 110 

THE  CATERPILLARS, Ill 

THE  CATERPILLAR'S  NEST, 112 

THE  WALNUT  TREE, 113 

THE  CLOUD  OF  TRIBULATION, 115 

THE  FATHER, 116 

THE  FLOWER-POT, 117 

FRAILTIES, 118 

THE  WEEPING  DAMSEL, .120 

THE  INVALID, 121 

THE  SWALLOW, 122 

THE  HEWN    WILLOWS, 123 

THE  WOUNDED  STAG, 124 

THE  FOLDED  HANDS,  125 


XXVI  CONTENTS. 

TAOE 

THE  HOP   PLANT, 127 

THE  ROD, 129 

DEATH, 131 

THE  MARRIAGE, 132 

THE  CLOUDS, ;         .        .  134 

THE  SHOOTING-MATCH, 135 

THE  SILK-WORM, 137 

THE  RYE  IN  FLOWER, 138 

THISTLES, 140 

TRANSPLANTED  TREES  AND  FLOWERS, 141 

THE  BIRD  IN  THE  HANDS   OF  CHILDREN, 143 

THE  CENTRE,           ..;».... 144 

DUST, 145 

THE  SWARM  OF  BEES, 147 

THE  WITHERED   FLOWERS, 149 

THE  BEE  MADE  A  PREY, 151 

THE  STUBBORN  TREE, 152 

THE  SUN, 153 

THE  SUN  (SECOND  MEDITATION), 155 

THE  WEED, 156 

THE  DOUBLE  FLOWERS, 157 

THE  PIKE, 159 

THE  VINE    .                          160 

THE  BURNING-GLASS, 162 

THE  GRAFTS, 163 

THE  ORPHANS, 165 

SOUL  VENDERS, 166 

THE  INCOGNITO, 168 


CONTENTS.  XXVII 

PAGE 

THE  BROOK, •        •  169 

THE  BAD  CROP, 17° 

THE  ORANGE  TREE, 1|2 

THE  DISMANTLED  HOUSE, 174 

MAN  AND  HIS  SAVIOUR, 17G 

THE  PEARL  NECKLACE,      .         .         .        .        .        .        •        •        •  178 

THE  PEARL  NECKLACE  ( SECOND  MEDITATION),          .        ...  179 

THE  FOUL  VESSEL,        .        ...  •'. 18° 


A  STRANGE  SEA, 


182 


THE  ENTERTAINMENT,          .        .         .        .        ....        .  183 

THE  FRUITFUL  TREE, 184 

THE  HARVEST,    ,........-,•,••         •         •         •  185 

THE  ARTIFICIAL  PICTURE, 187 

THE  MICROSCOPE,      ...''...    ^»        •        •        •        ••        •        •  188 

TUNING  A  LUTE,        .         .         .         .   .    .    .,•*=•_.-,/.,    •        '         '        -I90 

THE  BEE,  .         .............        •        •        •  192 

HEAVEN,        .        .        ...,.,...,..-.        .        .        .        -193 

TEARS,        .        .    .    .        .    t...    ..-.....•    .    -        •        -        •        '  195 

THE  ANTS,             .        .........        •        *        •        •        •        •  197 

THE  STRANGE  BARGAIN,    .,..   ^    .......        .        .  198 

THE  CHILDREN'S  CUP» 2°° 

THE  SHEEP,      ..,.....,....•.•.••        •  201 


THE  GENEROUS  TREE, ff 

THE  MILL, 204 

THE  DAMAGED  BELL,      ......        .        .        .    .    .  ^    .;,     -  205 

INGRATITUDE,          .        .        .     ,    .        ...        .        .        .        •  206 

THE  LIGHT,          •        •         • •        •        '  207 


THE  LIGHT  (SECOND  MEDITATION), 


XXVIII  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

THE  LIGHT  (THIRD  MEDITATION),         .......  20U 

THE  TREMBLING  TOl'LAR, 210 

THE  MENDICANT, 211 

LAUGHTER, 213 

THE  DISCONSOLATE  MAN, 215 

WHY  GOD  PERMITS  SIN,        .        ...         t         ....  217 

AFTER-PAINS, 218 

THE  BLINDED  BIRD, 220 

GRAY  HAIRS, 221 

THE  COIN, 222 

THE  MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  HEAVENLY  BODIES,         ...  224 

THE   CONTRACT, 226 

PALPITATION  OF  THE  HEART, 228 

THE  HEART  (SECOND  MEDITATION), 220 

BOOKS, 231 

THE  SAVINGS-BOX, .        .        .        .        .        .233 

BLIND-MAN'S  BUFF,      .,*.,., 234 

INVISIBLE  WRITING,        .        .-•.>.-• 236 

THE  DIFFICULTY  OF  FAITH, 237 

THE  CIPHER, .238 

THE  NUMBER  BEFORE  THE  CIPHER,             240 

THE  WATCH, 241 

THE  RING, 242 

THE  RING  (SECOND  MEDITATION), 243 

WHEAT, 244 

LOSS  OF  MEMORY, 245 

THE  DEATH  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN, 247 

THE  ALTAR, 248 


CONTENTS.  XXIX 

PAGE 

THE  BILL  OF  EXCHANGE  AND  RICHES, 249 

THE  PILLOW, 252 

THE  PILLOW  (SECOND  MEDITATION), 253 

THE  PILLOW  (THIRD  MEDITATION), 254 

BEAUTY, 255 

THE  CONCEPTION  OF  A  PORTRAIT, 257 

THE  ONLY  CHILD, .  258 

THE  WILL, 260 

ANOTHER  WILL, 261 

THE  SATIATED  CHILD, 263 

WASHING  THE  HANDS, 264 

DROSS  AND  CHAFF, 265 

THE  ENEMY, 266 

THE  DIVISION, .        .268 

THE  DIVISION  (SECOND  MEDITATION), 269 

GOD  AND  THE  WORLD, .        .270 

THE  WASP, 271 

THE  CLOCK, 273 

SWEET  WINE, 274 

THE  GRUBS  IN  THE  BEE-HIVE, 276 

THE  BIER, 277 

THE  ROPEMAKER,  279 

THE  VINE, 280 

THE  BEST  DISH, 281 

SERVANTS, 283 

THE  FRAGRANT  DEATH'S  HEAD, 285 

THE  THOUGHTS, 286 

THE  CHILD  LEARNING  TO  WALK, 288 


XXX  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

THE  NEW  SUIT  OF  CLOTHES, 289 

THE  WATER-DROP, 291 

THE  DARK  NIGHT, 292 

ANGRY  ALMS, 293 

THE  SORE, 295 

THE  TANGLED  YARN, .        .        .<       .         .296 

THE  JOURNEY, 297 

THE  CHILD    AT  PLAY,  ...        .        ...        .         .        298 

THE  MORNING  STAR, 300 

THE  ROYAL  ENTRANCE, 301 

THE  CIRCLES  ON  THE  WATER,     .      . 303 

THE  PAPER  MILL, 304 

THE  SHOW   DISH, .        .        .         .306 

THE  CHRISTIAN  WITHOUT  A  CROSS, 30T 

GOOD  WEATHER, .      310 

THE  PILLS,        .         ... 312 

THE  BIRD  OF  PREY,     .............        .        .313 

FEEDING  THE  HENS,     .......        . 814 

THE  CONCLUSION,      .......  ...        .  .315 


i. 


OTTHOLD,on  the  first  morning  of  a  new  year, 
wishing  to  know  the  time  of  day,  looked  up  to 
the  dial  of  the  church  spire,  where  hands,  moved 
by  the  mechanism  within,  indicated  the  hours 
upon  a  broad  line  of  gilded  numbers.  Led  into 
devout  reflection,  he  observed  to  those  around  him  :  I 
highly  approve  of  marking  the  hours  with  letters  of 
gold  ;  it  may  well  admonish  us  of  the  value  of  time, 
which  is  indeed  too  precious  to  be  purchased  even  with 
the  chief  of  metals  ;  and  of  this  truth  many  and  all  of 
us  need  to  be  reminded.  Chrysaurus,  a  man  of  rank 
and  fortune,  had  lived  an  ungodly  life  ;  when  his  end 
drew  near,  he  beheld  a  troop  of  dreadful  demons 
standing  around  his  bed,  and  waiting  for  his  soul, 


32  THE  DIAL-PLATE. 

and  exclaimed  with  a  voice  of  anguish,  Oh,  for  time ! 
Only  till  to-morrow!  Spare  me  till  to-morrow!  But 
his  entreaties  were  vain.  For  him  time  was  past, 
and  the  respite  terminated.  Ah !  how  much  he  would 
have  given  for  even  a  few  hours  in  which  to  repent ! 
And  yet  how  seldom  we  reflect  upon  the  value  of  time, 
and  how  prodigally  we  spend  it !  How  large  the  por- 
tions of  it  which  we  sleep,  play,  talk,  eat,  drink,  riot 
away,  and,  in  short,  unprofitably  waste  ;  and  how  long 
we  deem  the  little  fragments  devoted  to  spiritual  ex- 
ercises, such  as  converse  with  God,  the  study  of  His 
Word,  devout  contemplation,  and  the  search  of  con- 
science !  The  hand  upon  the  dial  moves  incessantly 
round,  and  passing  hour  after  hour,  will  point  at  last 
to  that  at  which  you  and  I  shall  die ;  and  it  will  be 
said  of  us,  He  has  departed  this  life.  We  shall  then 
have  done  with  time,  have  entered  upon  eternity,  and 
shall  stand  before  the  Judge.  Let  us  therefore  dili- 
gently improve  every  hour,  and  permit  none  to  pass 
without  yielding  us  some  advantage  for  the  world  to 
come.  Let  every  stroke  of  the  clock  remind  us  that 
another  portion  of  time  is  gone,  and  that  we  shall  have 
to  give  account  of  it  to  God.  "  As  we  have  opportunity 
(orig.,  while  we  have  time)  let  us  do  good" 

My  God !  seal  these  words  upon  my  heart,  and  help 
me  to  employ  the  year  which  is  now  commencing  in  a 
way  I  may  never  repent  of  in  eternity. 


THE  SNOW-BALL.  33 


II. 


,NE  mild  winter  day,  some  boys  had  made  a  snow- 
ball, and  rolled  it  along  until  it  had  grown  too 
large  and  heavy  for  them  to  move.  Here,  said 
Gotthold,  we  have  an  agreeable  emblem  of  hit- 
man cares.  These  are  often  little  and  insig- 
nificant, but  we  magnify  them  by  impatience  and  un- 
belief, till  they  become  greater  than  we  can  bear. 
Many  a  one  keeps,  night  and  day,  revolving  his 
trouble  in  his  mind  to  no  better  purpose  than  these 
boys.  All  they  accomplish  by  their  pains  is  to  set  up 
for  those  who  pass  a  sign  that  children  have  been  at 
play,  and  he  gains  nothing  by  his  but  a  head  more 
confused,  and  a  heart  more  sorrowful  than  before.  We 
are  often  reluctant  to  give  God  the  honor  of  caring  for 
us,  and,  as  if  He  were  drowsy  or  negligent,  offer  to 
assist  His  wisdom  by  our  folly.  But  we  thereby  lose 
rather  than  gain.  Besides,  what  a  high  offence  it  is, 
if,  when  He  opens  the  bosom  of  His  compassion,  and 
bids  us  boldly  cast  all  our  cares  into  it,  we  treat  Him 
with  distrust  ! 

My  God  !  Thou  hast  formed  the  eye,  and  shall  Thou 
not  see?  Thou  hast  planted  the  ear,  and  shalt  Thou  not 
hear?  Thou  hast  made  the  heart,  and  shalt  Thou  not 
take  thought  ?  I  will  roll  my  trouble  no  farther  than  to 


34  THE    COLD. 

Thee,  or,  if  that  be  beyond  my  might,  I  will  admit 
Thee  into  my  heart,  and  show  Thee  there  what  is  too 
heavy  for  me.  Thou  wilt  then  know,  though  I  may  not, 
by  what  means  it  may  be  removed. 


III. 


CHILD  had  continued  at  play  in  the  open 
air  till  its  hands  became  livid  with  cold.  At 
length  it  rushed  into  the  house,  and  holding 
them  to  the  fire,  experienced  acute  pain, 
which  is  the  usual  consequence  of  subjecting 
benumbed  limbs  suddenly  to  the  influence  of  heat. 
Gotthold  pitied  the  little  fellow,  and  then  remarked : 
Many  and  bitter  are  the  pains  which  prey  upon  the 
human  body  in  this  world!  There  are  headache, 
toothache,  earache,  and  aches  in  every  limb,  more 
numerous  than  can  be  told.  If,  however,  even  in 
time,  and  for  man's  correction,  a  righteous  God  siib- 
jects  him  to  sufferings  so  great,  what  must  be  the 
case  in  hell,  when  He  pours  upon  the  reprobate  the 
full  measure  of  His  wrath  ?  In  the  present  instance, 
as  we  see,  the  pain  proceeds  from  the  conflict  of  heat 
with  cold ;  and  so  it  will  be  in  hell.  The  victims 


SNOW.  35 

there  will  burn  in  everlasting  flames,  and  at  the  same 
time  wail  and  chatter  with  their  teeth.  Nor  can  there 
be  any  comparison  between  the  brief  anguish  of  this 
child,  and  the  torment  which  shall  endure  for  ever! 
But  so  intent  are  children  upon  their  play,  that  they 
neither  feel  the  present  cold,  nor  fear  the  future  pain  ; 
and  we  who  are  older  act  a  similar  part.  We  pursue 
the  folly  of  the  world,  permit  ourselves  to  be  beguiled 
by  its  paltry  pleasures,  and  all  too  easily  forget  the 
penalties  which  follow  sin,  both  in  time  and  eternity. 

Ah,  my  God  !  subject  me  to  any  amount  of  torment 
in  the  present  life,  that  will  exempt  me  from  the  pains 
of  hell  hereafter  ! 


IV. 


iHERE  was  a  deep  covering  of  snow  upon  the 
ground,  when  Gotthold  thus  began:  Snow  is 
one  of  those  marvellous  things  which  God 
brings  forth  from  the  treasures  of  nature  ;  and 
no  satisfactory  account  has  yet  been  given 
of  the  manner  of  its  production,  or  of  the  fantastic 
shapes  which  its  minute  particles  assume  ;  although 
able  men  have  made  it  the  subject  of  long  and  careful 


36  SNOW. 

study,  many  of  them  in  fact,  till  the  whiteness  of  their 
heads  attests  how  often  they  have  seen  it  fall.  This, 
however,  is  certain,  that  God  uses  it  according  to  His 
pleasure,  sometimes  for  the  good  of  man,  and  some- 
times to  his  temporal  detriment,  or  even  bodily  destruc- 
tion. Cold  although  it  be,  it  must,  at  His  behest,  serve 
as  a  fur  to  cover  and  protect  the  winter's  seed.  In  this 
sense,  the  royal  prophet  says,  "  The  Lord  giveth  snow 
like  wool ; "  and  country  people  predict  a  fruitful  sea- 
son when  the  White  Gf-oose  hatches  a  numerous  brood. 
Rubbed,  too,  upon  frozen  limbs,  it  restores  them  to 
warmth  and  animation.  On  the  other  hand,  how  de- 
structive it  becomes  when  it  receives  its  commission 
fram  the  Divine  wrath !  In  mountainous  regions,  as 
we  sometimes  hear,  a  mere  flake,  stirred  at  first  by  the 
touch  of  a  bird's  wing,  or  other  accidental  cause,  grows 
to  such  a  magnitude,  as  it  tumbles  from  the  heights, 
that  on  reaching  the  valley,  it  crushes  and  entombs  the 
abodes  of  men,  and  even  whole  villages  and  towns. 
How  often,  too,  do  we  read  of  the  floods  and  calamities 
which  ensue  in  Spring,  when  the  snow  of  the  moun- 
tains, suddenly  dissolved  by  the  rain  or  heat,  rushes 
down  and  swells  the  brooks  and  rivers  till  they  overflow 
their  banks ! 

Lord  God !  all  depends  upon  Thy  favor  or  frown. 
Thou  canst  make  that  which  is  cold  itself  a  protection 
from  cold,  and  even  a  means  of  generating  heat.  Bane- 
ful tilings  cease  to  be  baneful  when  overruled  by  Thy 


THE   MONEY   SCALES.  37 

grace.  The  most  useful  lose  their  utility  if  Thou  with- 
hold Thy  good  influence ;  and  in  Thy  hand  the  most 
minute  may  become  the  instrument  of  a  mighty  judg- 
ment. 


Y. 


N  opulent  merchant  having  received  a  sum  of 
money,  was  putting  the  ducats,  one  by  one, 
into  a  pair  of  scales,  in  order  to  ascertain  that 
they  were  not  too  light.  "  For  my  part,"  said 
Gotthold,  who  was  present,  "  I  should  be  more 
afraid  of  their  being  too  heavy."  "  How  so  ?  "  inquired 
the  merchant.  "  Do  you  not  think,"  rejoined  Gotthold, 
"  that  money  is  too  heavy  when  bedewed  with  the  blood 
of  the  poor,  the  sweat  of  the  laborious,  and  the  tears 
of  the  widow  and  the  orphan  ;  or  when  loaded  with  the 
curses  of  those  who,  by  fraud  or  violence,  have  been 
robbed  of  it  ?  I  will  hope,  however,  that  there  are  no 
pieces  of  this  description  in  that  heap  of  yours  ;  or 
rather,  I  will  not  fear  that  there  are  any.  Suffer  me, 
however,  without  offence,  to  express  the  wish  that  you 
will  always  make  your  conscience  your  scales,  and 
weigh  in  it  your  dollars  and  ducats  to  ascertain  that 
they  are  of  proper  weight,  and  have  been  honestly  ac- 


38  THE  DROWNED    MAN. 

quired.  Many  a  man  never  learns,  until  he  is  strug- 
gling with  death,  how  difficult,  or  rather  impossible,  it 
is  to  force  a  soul,  burdened  with  unrighteous  gain, 
through  the  strait  gate  which  leadeth  unto  life.  Take 
heed,  then,  that  no  such  gain  ever  burdens  yours.  The 
more  he  carries,  the  more  the  pilgrim  sweats  and  pants 
as  he  climbs  the  steep ;  and  the  more  the  conscience  is 
oppressed  with  dishonesty  and  fraud,  the  harder  will  the 
struggle  of  a  death-bed  be." 

0,  my  God !  withhold  from  me  the  wealth  to  which 
tears,  and  sighs,  and  curses  cleave.  Better  none  at  all 
than  wealth  like  that ! 


VI. 


i  HE  magistrate  of  a  well-known  town,  accom- 
panied by  some  acquaintances,  had  gone  on 
public  business  to  a  neighboring  village,  across 
a  frozen  river.  On  their  return  in  the  even- 
ing, they  did  not  reflect  that  the  intervening 
thaw  might  have  softened  the  ice,  and  rendered  it 
unsafe  ;  and  so,  unsuspicious  of  danger,  they  pro- 
ceeded along,  the  magistrate  taking  the  lead,  con- 
versing with  his  companions,  and  expecting  soon  to 


THE  DROWNED    MAN.  39 

reach  the  opposite  bank.  Alas!  the  shore  he  reached 
was  that  of  death !  Slipping  a  foot,  and  the  ice  break- 
ing, he  fell  into  the  water,  struggled  for  a  while,  and 
sank,  leaving  a  disconsolate  widow  and  several  helpless 
children  to  mourn  his  fate.  Weeks  elapsed  before  his 
body  was  found. 

Here,  said  Gotthold,  when  he  heard  the  story,  wo 
have  another  instance,  which  may  serve  as  a  mirror 
to  show  us  what  we  are.  Children  of  men,  alas  !  what 
is  your  life  but  a  soft  and  slippery  sheet  of  ice,  which 
breaks,  now  here,  now  there,  and  plunges  you,  one 
after  another,  into  the  flood  of  death  and  oblivion. 
This  you  see,  but  do  not  take  to  heart ;  and  you  pace 
heedlessly  along,  although  at  every  step  the  ice  bends 
beneath  your  feet,  till  in  a  moment  you  disappear. 
Wherefore,  be  at  all  times  ready ;  and  while  life  lasts, 
prepare  a  refuge  for  your  soul,  that  if  suddenly  called 
upon  to  depart,  it  may  know  whither  to  fly. 

Lord  God !  be  not  angry  with  me.  Behold,  I  take 
upon  me  to  speak  unto  Thee,  although  I  am  but  dust 
and  ashes.1  Surprise  me  not  by  a  sudden  death,  lest 
it  find  me  unprepared ;  neither  keep  me  too  long  in 
the  mortal  struggle,  that  my  patience  do  not  fail.  But 
I  will  be  dumb  and  hold  my  peace,  for  Thou  wilt  order 
it  aright.2 

1  Gen.  xviii.  27.  2  Psalm  xxxix.  2. 


40  THE    TWO    MIRRORS. 


VII. 


YOUNG  lady,  otherwise  well-behaved  and  es- 
teemed, made  an  idol  of  the  beauty  which  she 
had  received  from  nature,  and  often  labored 
by  ornaments  to  improve  it.  For  this  purpose, 
she  had  two  mirrors  in  her  chamber,  placed 
opposite  to  each  other,  so  that  when  she  stood  between 
them,  she  could  see  her  figure  behind  as  well  as  before  ; 
the  one  at  her  back  reflecting  the  image  into  the  one  in 
front,  and  there  presenting  it  to  her  view.  Gotthold 
saw  this  with  some  surprise  at  the  ingenuity  of  the 
device.  At  the  same  time  he  said:  Are  you  aware  that 
beauty  when  unadorned  and  left  to  its  own  native  love- 
liness, is  often  more  admired  than  that  which  paint  and 
ornament  have  been  used  to  set  oif.  The  rose  is  of  it- 
self beautiful  and  fragrant  ;  sprinkle  it  with  balm,  and 
you  will  injure  its  innate  perfume.  Over-anxiety  to  be 
beautiful  is  to  be  half  -ugly.  Be  moderate,  therefore, 
and  delight  not  too  greatly  in  the  verdant  gourd  of 
your  comeliness,  lest  God  prepare  a  worm  to  smite  it 
that  it  wither.  I  will,  however,  recommend  to  you  two 
other  mirrors,  in  which  you  may  contemplate  yourself 
with  profit,  —  the  one  is  the  Past,  the  other  the  Future. 
That  will  show  you  how  great  the  mercies  you  have, 
all  your  life  long,  received  from  God,  and  how  small 


THE   SENSIBLE    WIFE.  41 

the  returns  of  gratitude  you  have  made  him ;  this  will 
exhibit  the  various  changes  which  still  await  you,  viz., 
pale  sickness,  sorrowful  old  age,  certain  death,  and  at 
last  the  terrors  of  judgment.  Or  would  you  prefer  two 
other  mirrors  ?  In  that  case,  set  up  continually  before 
your  eyes  the  Divine  Justice,  which  sees  all  things,  even 
our  most  secret  thoughts,  and  will,  in  due  time,  bring 
them  to  judgment;  this  will  guard  you  against  pride 
and  security.  On  the  other  hand,  look  also  at  the 
Divine  Mercy  which  incessantly  follows  after  the  sin- 
ner, and  consumes  his  transgressions  in  the  flame  of 
love ;  this  will  keep  you  from  despondency  and  excess 
of  sorrow.  Such  an  employment  will  be  as  much  more 
profitable  than  that  in  which  you  are  now  engaged,  as 
the  immortal  soul  is  nobler  than  the  vile  body. 


VIII. 

®|j£  Ssnsitrh  Witt. 

o 

RECOLLECT,  proceeded  Gotthold,  having 
been  told  the  following  story:  A  prudent  and 
pious  lady  observing  her  husband  deeply  de- 
jected on  account  of  some  misfortune  which 
had  befallen  him,  so  that  he  could  not  sleep 
at  night  for  care,  pretended  in  the  morning  to  be  still 


42  THE  SENSIBLE   WIFE. 

more  disconsolate  than  he,  and  gave  way  to  lamenta- 
tions and  tears.  As  she  had  spoken  eheeringly  to  him 
the  evening  before,  and  exhorted  him  to  dismiss  his 
sorrow,  he  was  astonished,  and  asked  the  cause  of  her 
sudden  grief.  Hesitating  a  little,  she  replied  that  she 
had  been  dreaming,  and  that  it  seemed  to  her  that  a 
messenger  had  come  from  heaven,  and  brought  the 
news  that  God  was  dead,  and  that  all  the  angels  were 
weeping.  "  Foolish  woman,"  said  the  husband,  "  you 
know  right  well  that  God  cannot  die!"  —  "Indeed," 
replied  the  wife,  "  and  if  that  be  so  certain,  how  comes 
it  that  you  are  now  indulging  your  sorrow  as  immoder- 
ately as  if  He  really  did  no  longer  exist,  or,  at  least,  as 
if  He  was  unable  to  set  measure  and  bounds  to  our 
affliction,  or  mitigate  its  severity,  or  convert  it  into  a 
blessing.  My  dear  husband,  learn  to  trust  in  Him,  and 
to  sorrow  like  a  Christian.  Think  of  the  old  proverb, 

'  What  need  to  grieve, 
If  God  still  live.' " 

Yerily,  my  Father,  didst  Thou  not  live,  I  would  not 
myself  wish  to  live  another  hour!  And  if  sometimes 
Thou  feignest  to  be  dead,  I  will  not  cease  to  rouse  Thee 
with  my  prayers  and  tears,  until  I  sensibly  experience 
again  that  Thou  art  the  health  of  my  countenance, 
and  my  God. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF    THE  RICH.  43 

IX. 

U0ferfn  0f  %  Cljilirrm  of  tfo  gitlj. 

HIS  happened  one  day  to  be  the  subject  of  con- 
cay 

versation  in  a  company,  and  almost   all  who 


were  present  had  instances  of  it  to  relate. 
On  inquiring  into  its  causes,  some  maintained 
that  it  was  owing  to  the  foolish  love  of  wealthy 
parents,  who  trained  their  children  in  youth  more  to 
luxury  than  labor,  more  to  wasting  than  thrift,  and  thus 
made  them  bad  economists.  Others  supposed  the  cause 
to  be,  that  great  wealth  is  seldom  amassed  by  one  man, 
except  at  the  expense  of  many  others,  and  without  the 
tears  of  widows,  and  the  sweat  of  the  poor,  —  in  short, 
without  injustice ;  and  that  for  that  reason  the  curse 
of  God  cleaves  to  it,  and  fritters  it  away.  To  these 
views  Gotthold  did  not  object,  aware^  in  particular 
cases,  of  their  truth.  He  insisted,  however,  that  to  the 
children  of  the  rich,  poverty  is  a  secret  blessing,  inas- 
much as  it  takes  from  them  the  key  which  opens  all  the 
doors  of  sin  ;  or,  in  other  words,  wealth.  Nurtured,  he 
said,  as  they  have  been,  in  superfluity  and  self-indul- 
gence of  all  kinds,  in  total  ignorance  of  the  cross,  and 
insensibility  to  the  hardships  and  miseries  of  others, 
they  would,  if  left  in  this  state,  care  little  or  nothing 
for  heaven.  God,  therefore,  permits  their  temporal  pos- 
sessions to  melt  away,  that  they  may  thereby  be  led  to 


44  THE    OPEN   SMELLING-BOTTLE. 

despise  earthly  things,  and  seek,  with  all  the  greater 
ardor,  those  that  are  heavenly. 

0  God !  vouchsafe  to  my  children  Thy  enduring 
grace,  and  even  in  the  midst  of  poverty,  they  will  then 
be  rich  enough. 


)OR  some  purpose,  Gotthold  had  taken  from  a 
cupboard  a  vial  of  rose-water,  and,  after  using 
it,  had  inconsiderately  left  it  unstopped.  Ob- 
serving it  some  time  after,  he  found  that  all 
the  strength  and  sweetness  of  the  perfume  had 
evaporated.  This,  thought  he  with  himself,  is  a  strik- 
ing emblem  of  a  heart  fond  of  the  world,  and  open  to 
the  impressions  of  outward  objects.  How  vain  it  is 
to  take  such  a  heart  to  the  house  of  God,  and  fill  it 
with  the  precious  essence  of  the  roses  of  paradise, 
which  are  the  truths  of  Scripture,  or  raise  in  it  a 
glow  of  devotion,  if  we  afterwards  neglect  to  close 
the  outlet,  —  that  is,  to  keep  the  Word  in  an  honest 
and  good  heart ! l  How  vain  to  hear  much,  but  to 
retain  little  and  practise  less!  How  vain  to  excite 

1  Luke  viii.  15. 


THE   DIAMOND.  45 

in  our  heart  sacred  and  holy  emotions,  unless  we  are 
afterwards  careful  to  close  the  outlet  by  diligent  re- 
flection and  prayer,  and  so  preserve  it  un spotted  from 
the  world.  Neglect  this,  and  the  strength  and  spirit 
of  devotion  evaporates,  and  leaves  only  a  lifeless  froth 
behind. 

Lord  Jesus,  enable  me  to  keep  Thy  word  like  a 
lively  cordial  in  my  heart.  Quicken  it  there  by  Thy 
Spirit  and  grace.  Seal  it,  also,  in  my  soul,  that  it 
may  preserve  for  ever  its  freshness  and  its  power ! 


XI. 


OTTHOLD,  inspecting  the  operations  of  a 
goldsmith,  who  was  setting  a  diamond,  saw 
_^  him  place  a  dark  leaf  in  the  capsule,  which 
it  was  intended  to  fill.  On  inquiring  for 
what  purpose  this  was  done,  he  was  told 
that  it  improved  the  brightness  and  sparkling  of  the 
jewel.  Reflecting  upon  the  matter,  he  found  that  such 
would  naturally  be  the  effect,  and  exclaimed  :  My 
God,  here  I  have  a  type  of  Thy  grace,  which  shines 
most  brightly  and  beautifully  in  our  deepest  distress, 
or  when  employed  to  overlay  the  blackness  of  our 
guilt.  I  do  not  wonder  so  much  that  it  irradiated 


46  THE    CHURCH   SPIRES. 

an  Enoch,  a  Noah,  a  Daniel,  and  a  Virgin  Mary,  as 
that  it  shed  its  enlightening  and  quickening  rays  on 
David  the  adulterer,  on  Peter,  who  denied  his  Master 
with  an  oath,  on  Paul  the  persecutor  and  blaspl  ^*» 
and  on  that  great  sinner  Mary  Magdalene. 


XII. 


BEING,  in  a  certain  town,  the  church  spires 
mounting  almost  to  the  clouds,  Gotthold  began 
to  wonder  that  our  forefathers  had  expended 
so  much  industry  and  wealth  upon  an  ob- 
ject which  seems  to  minister  to  nothing  but 
siiperfluous  pomp  and  outward  show.  After  some  re- 
flection, however,  he  remarked,  that  their  intentions 
were  no  doubt  good,  and  their  object  praiseworthy. 
Does  not  such  a  tall  and  stately  spire  seem  like  a  giant 
figure  pointing  upwards  !  There  can  be  no  doubt,  our 
worthy  ancestors  meant  that  every  church  should  di- 
rect our  eyes  to  heaven,  and  thereby  admonish  us  that 
the  doctrine  preached  in  the  sanctuary  below,  is  the 
only  way  to  the  mansions  above.  As  often,  then,  as  we 
see  such  a  spire,  let  us  recollect  that  here  we  have  no 
continuing  city,  but  must  seek  one  to  come.1 

1  Hebrews  xiii.  14. 


THE   MOTE  IN    THE  EYE.  47 

XIII. 

hi 


(HILE  at  play,  a  child  happening  to  get  a 
mote  into  his  eye,  kept  rubbing  and  wiping 
it  for  a  while,  but  with  no  other  effect  than 
to  increase  the  pain  and  inflammation.  At 
last  he  ran  and  complained  to  his  father, 
who  put  a  small  pearl  into  it,  and  bade  him  close 
and  roll  it  about  several  times,  whereupon  the  pearl 
dropped  out  with  the  mote  adhering  to  it.  This  sug- 
gested to  Gotthold  the  following  thoughts:  The  eye 
is  the  light  of  the  body.  It  sees  all  things  presented 
to  it,  but  not  itself.  It  is,  however,  as  the  present 
instance  shows,  an  extremely  sensitive  organ,  and  can- 
not endure  even  a  mote,  but  weeps  and  aches  until 
it  is  relieved.  It  thus  affords  us  a  true  emblem  of 
conscience,  which,  although  itself  little  noticed,  per- 
ceives, apprehends,  and,  so  to  speak,  keeps  a  record 
of  all  things.  In  one  respect,  indeed,  conscience  is 
superior  to  the  eye  ;  for  while  the  latter  sees  only  by 
day,  the  former  sees  also  by  night,  and  takes  minute 
cognizance  of  the  works  of  darkness.  Now,  true  it  is 
that  many,  especially  when  blinded  by  the  delusions 
of  self-love  and  carnal  security,  look  upon  sin  as  only 
a  mote.  But  ah!  with  what  bitter  pain  and  anguish 
the  mote,  which  seems  so  small,  can  wring  the  con- 


48  THE  LOCK. 

science !  How  it  aches  and  weeps !  And,  in  such  a 
case,  0  God  of  mercy,  there  is  no  help  but  with  Thee. 
The  Gospel  of  Jesus  is  the  pearl  of  great  price.1 
Dropped  by  Thy  hand  into  the  wounded  and  troubled 
heart,  it  takes  sin  and  all  its  anguish  away,  so  that 
we  find  rest  to  our  souls,  and  learn  to  serve  Thee  with 
alacrity  and  delight. 

Help  me,  0  my  God !  to  walk  at  all  times  cautiously 
and  circumspectly,  and  guard  me  by  Thy  grace  from 
ever  wounding  my  conscience. 


XIV. 


LOCK  was  shown  to  Gotthold,  constructed  of 
rings,  which  were  severally  inscribed  with  cer- 
tain letters,  and  could  be  turned  round  until 
the  letters  represented  the  name  Jesus.  It 
was  only  when  the  rings  were  disposed  in  this 
manner  that  the  lock  could  be  opened.  The  invention 
pleased  him  beyond  measure  and  he  exclaimed  :  Oh 
that  I  could  put  such  a  lock  as  this  upon  my  heart! 
Our  hearts  are  already  locked,  no  doubt,  but  generally 

1  Matt.  xiii.  46. 


THE    GOLDEN    CANDLESTICK.  49 

with  a  lock  of  quite  another  kind.  Many  need  only 
to  hear  the  words,  Gain,  Honor,  Pleasure,  Riches,  Re- 
venge, and  their  heart  opens  in  a  moment,  whereas,  to 
the  Saviour  and  to  His  holy  name,  it  continues  shut. 

Lord  Jesus,  engrave  Thou  Thy  name  with  Thine 
own  finger  upon  my  heart,  that  it  may  remain  closed 
to  worldly  joy  and  worldly  pleasure,  self-interest,  fading 
honor,  and  low  revenge,  and  open  only  to  Thee ! 


XV. 


^OTTHOLD  proceeded:   Among  the  furniture 

?r 

of  the   tabernacle,  under  the  Old   Testament, 


not  the  least  conspicuous  article  was  the 
golden  candlestick,  with  seven  branches  and 
lamps  that  always  burned.  By  the  Divine 
command,  however,  this  candlestick  was  neither  cast 
nor  soldered  together,  but  made  of  beaten  work  from  a 
talent  of  gold.1  In  this  way  the  Lord  intended  to  sig- 
nify that  no  one  can  shine  on  earth  with  the  light  of 
sound  doctrine  and  a  holy  life,  or  in  heaven  with  eter- 
nal glory,  who  has  not  been  subjected  to  His  hammer, 


l  Exodus  xxv.  31. 


50  THE  DRINKING-CUP. 

and  beaten  and  wrought  conformably  to  His  mind.  The 
only  misfortune  is,  that  we  do  not  comprehend  His 
method  of  working.  Thy  will,  0  God,  is  to  make  of 
us  vessels  unto  honor ,  sanctified  and  meet  for  Thy  use, 
and  prepared  unto  every  good  work}  We,  however, 
would  rather  continue  good  for  nothing,  than  subject 
our  sinful  flesh  to  pain.  But,  0  my  Father,  heed  not 
our  folly.  The  hammers  Thou  usest  are  the  devil, 
the  world,  and  all  sorts  of  adversity.  Beat  well,  that 
both  here  in  time,  and  hereafter  in  eternity,  I  may  be  a 
vessel  unto  honor,  and  fit  for  Thy  use. 


XVI. 


SILVER  cup,  gilded  and  tastefully  embossed, 
was  standing  upon  a  table,  and  suggested  to 
Gotthold  the  following  thoughts :  The  sole  dif- 
ference between  this  and  any  other  piece  of 
silver  is,  that  it  has  been  more  highly  wrought, 
and  beaten  with  the  hammer.  In  no  other  way  could 
it  have  been  formed  into  the  costly  and  beautiful  vessel 
which  we  here  see.  Why  then  should  we  think  it  so 

1  2  Timothy  ii.  21. 


THE  MONK  IN  SOLITUDE.  51 

strange  and  unaccountable  when  God,  in  His  unerring 
wisdom,  applies  to  us,  in  good  earnest,  the  hammer  of 
the  Cross  ?  Do  not  we  deal  as  we  please  with  the  inan- 
imate creatures,  moulding  them  into  any  shape  which 
strikes  our  fancy  ?  And  ought  we,  then,  to  take  offence, 
and  complain  of  Him,  when  He  makes  the  Cross  His 
hammer,  and  beats  us  into  conformity  to  His  will  ?  Is 
our  right  over  the  creatures  better  than  His  over  us  ? 
And  would  any  good  thing  come  out  of  us  were  our 
gracious  Father  to  let  us  alone  ? 


XVII. 

gjUrnh  in 


RECOLLECT,  said  Gotthold,  a  pleasant  story, 
told  by  a  pious  minister,  about  a  monk  of  former 
days.  He  resolved  to  leave  his  monastery,  on 
the  ground  that  he  there  too  frequently  met  with 
causes  of'  provocation,  and  was  betrayed  into 
anger  and  other  sins.  Accordingly  he  retired  into 
the  desert,  in  the  hope  that  solitude  would  enable 
him  to  serve  God  with  an  easier  mind.  One  day, 
however,  his  pitcher  happened  to  be  upset,  and,  when 
lifted  up,  fell  a  second  time,  which  kindled  his  anger 


52  THE    UNKNOWN   FRIEND. 

to  such  a  pitch,  that  he  dashed  it  to  the  ground,  and 
broke  it  into  a  thousand  pieces.  He  soon,  however, 
came  to  himself,  and  said :  I  now  see  that  I  cannot 
be  at  peace,  even  in  solitude,  and  that  the  fault  lies 
not  in  others,  but  in  myself.  He  then  returned  to 
the  monastery,  and,  after  many  strenuous  efforts,  suc- 
ceeded in  subduing  his  passions,  not  by  flight,  but  by 
mortification  and  self-denial. 


XVIII. 


N  E  day  a  person  who,  by  the  calamities  of  war, 
sickness,  and  other  affliction,  had  been  reduced 
from  a  state  of  affluence  to  penury,  came  to 
Gotthold  in  great  distress.  He  complained  that 
he  had  just  met  one  of  his  former  acquaintan- 
ces, who  was  even  not  distantly  related  to  him,  but  that 
he  had  not  condescended  to  bow,  far  less  to  speak  to 
him,  and  had  turned  his  eyes  away,  aiid  passed  him  as 
if  he  had  been  a  stranger.  0,  Sir,  he  exclaimed,  with 
a  sigh,  How  it  pained  me !  I  felt  as  if  a  dagger  had 
pierced  my  heart !  Gotthold  replied :  Don't  think  it 
strange  at  all.  It  is  the  way  of  the  world  to  look  high, 
and  to  pass  unnoticed  that  which  is  humble  and  lowly. 


THE    COPY-LINE.  53 

I  know,  however,  of  One  who,  though  he  dwelleth  on 
high,  humble  th  Himself  to  behold  the  things  that  are 
in  heaven  and  in  the  earth,1  and  of  whom  the  royal 
prophet  testifies  :  Thou  hast  known  my  soul  in  adver- 
sity.2 Oh  yes,  though  we  have  lost  our  rich  attire,  and 
come  to  him  in  rags  ;  though  our  forms  be  wasted  be- 
cause of  grief,  and  waxed  old  ;  3  though  sickness  and 
sorrow  hath  consumed  our  beauty  like  a  moth  ;  4  though 
blushes,  and  tears,  and  dust  overspread  our  faces,5  He 
still  recognizes,  and  is  not  ashamed  to  own  us.  Com- 
fort yourself  with  this  ;  for  what  harm  will  it  do  you  at 
last,  though  men  disown,  if  God  the  Lord  has  not  for- 
gotten you  ? 


XIX. 

Ccpn-fxtu. 


N  a  writing-school,  Gotthold  observed  a  boy  eye- 
ing attentively  the   line  placed  before  him  as  a 
copy,  and  laboring  by  his  penmanship  to  emu- 
late  its  correctness  and  beauty.      Mark,  said 
he  to  the   by-standers,  how  all  perfection   is 
the   offspring  of  imperfection,  and   how,  by  frequent 


1  Psalm  cxiii.  5,  6.  3  Psalm  vi.  7,  Luth.  ver.  $  Psalm  Ixix. 

2  Psalm  xxxi.  7.  4  Psalm  xxxix.  11. 


54  THE    COPY-LINE. 

mistakes,  we  learn  to  do  well.  It  is  not  required  of 
this  boy  that  his  writing  should  equal  that  of  the  line. 
He  satisfies  his  master  by  the  pains  he  takes,  and  which 
are  a  ground  of  hope  that  he  will  progressively  improve, 
till  at  last  he  learns  to  write  with  rapidity  and  elegance. 
We  also  have  a  pattern  to  copy.  It  has  been  left  us  by 
the  Lord  Jesus,1  and  is  His  most  perfect  and  holy  life. 
And  think  not  that  He  exacts  from  us  more  than  the 
teacher  does  from  the  pupil.  No,  indeed ;  if  He  find 
us  careful  in  studying  His  example,  and  diligent  in  our 
endeavors  to  imitate  it,  He  exercises  forbearance  to- 
wards our  faults,  and  strengthens  us  by  His  grace  and 
Spirit  daily,  to  amend.  In  the  school  of  Christ  they  are 
the  best  scholars  who  continue  learning  to  the  last ;  I 
mean  they  who  sedulously  keep  their  Master's  example 
in  view,  and  are  always  striving  to  grow  more  and  more 
like  it,  but  yet  are  never  satisfied  with  themselves,  or 
with  the  progress  which  they  make.  We  must,  there- 
fore, endeavor  to  avoid  two  faults,  which  are  negligence 
and  discouragement.  The  one  becomes  eventually  the 
parent  of  indolence  and  security ;  the  other  of  despon- 
dency and  grief.  Heaven  is  open,  not  merely  to  the 
perfect  and  strong,  but  likewise  to  the  feeble  and  err- 
ing, if  they  will  only  with  penitence  and  humility  con- 
fess their  faults,  and  seek  in  the  grace  of  Christ  the 
supply  for  all  their  wants. 

0  my  God !  despise  not  my  inability.     Remember  I 

1  1  Peter  ii.  21. 


DANCING.  55 

am  but  a  learner,  and  be  satisfied  with  my  poor  perform- 
ances. My  good  intentions  often  miscarry.  But  ought 
I  on  that  account  to  desist  ?  God  forbid !  So  long  as 
I  live,  I  will  always  begin  afresh,  and  in  heaven,  at  Thy 
good  time,  will  lay  my  master-piece  at  thy  feet. 


XX. 


}E  are  told,  said  Gotthold,  of  one  of  the 
fathers  of  the  desert,  that  seeing  a  female 
ST  of  loose  morals  arrayed  in  rich  apparel,  he 
was  moved  to  tears,  and  lamented  that  he 
had  never  taken  half  so  much  pains  to  adorn 
his  soul  with  faith  and  godliness,  as  she  to  please  the 
world.  And  I,  too,  my  God,  could  almost  weep  to 
think  that  I  have  been  far  less  diligent  to  conform  my 
walk  and  ways  to  Thy  precepts  and  will,  than  these 
dancers  are  to  make  their  feet  keep  time  to  the  music. 
How  infatuated  are  men  !  Mere  vanities  appear  to  us 
worth  the  greatest  pains.  But  seldom  and  only  with 
reluctance  do  we  reflect  upon  eternity.  Away  with 
folly  !  I  have  so  much  to  do,  to  mend  my  heart  and  pre- 
pare for  death  ,  that  I  have  no  time  to  think  of  dancing. 


56  THE    WATCHMAKER. 


XXI. 


,N  GAGED  in  conversation  with  a  friend,  who 
had  remarked  that  he  was  often  at  a  loss  to 
discover  any  traces  of  the  Divine  government 
and  providence  in  the  affairs  of  the  world, 
T  Gotthold  said  to  him,  Come,  let  us  go  to  a 
watchmaker's.  See,  he  has  been  making  a  valuable 
watch  of  a  number  of  wheels,  springs,  pins,  etc.,  ex- 
actly measured,  jointed,  and  fitted  to  each  other. 
There  lie  the  parts,  all  different  in  shape,  size,  and 
construction,  and  all  having  a  certain  order  and  place 
to  which  they  belong.  Do  you  think  that  you  could 
put  them  together,  and  arrange  them  into  one  ?  I 
very  much  doubt  your  ability.  Make  the  attempt  ; 
expend  upon  it  as.  much  time  and  trouble  as  you 
please,  the  only  result  will  be  to  convince  you  of  the 
impossibility  of  constructing  a  whole  from  parts  so 
dissimilar.  Call  an  artist,  however,  to  the  task,  and 
you  will  soon  see  what  skill  can  do.  It  is  the  same 
here.  God  has  ordered  all  things  in  measure,  and 
number,  and  weight.  He  has  adapted  cause  to  cause, 
allotted  to  all  His  creatures  their  definite  action,  and 
finally,  appended  the  weight  of  His  omnipotence  and 


THE  BLUSHING    CHILD.  57 

wisdom  to  the  whole  fabric.     Keep  this  in  view  when 
you  wisli  to  know  what  hour  has  struck. 

My  God!  I  thank  Thee  that  Thy  watchful  eye  is 
over  all  things,  and  that  Thou  governest  them  with 
mercy  and  wisdom.  I  thank  Thee  that  the  world 
goes  not  as  man  wills,  but  as  Thou  the  Lord  wilt. 
In  whom  can  I  trust  better  than  in  Thee  ?  How 
strangely  soever,  then,  the  world's  affairs  may  some- 
times seem  to  proceed,  I  will  be  dumb,  and  not  open 
my  mouth,  because  Thou  doest  it. 


XXII. 

CIj,e  ^lu 


YOUNG  girl  was  one  day  censiired  by  her 
mother  for  some  fault,  upon  which  she  deeply 
blushed,  burst  into  tears,  and  retired  into  a  cor- 
ner. Gotthold  was  present,  and  observed  to 
the  mother  :  How  beautiful  your  reproof  has 
made  your  daughter  !  That  crimson  hue,  and  those 
silvery  tears,  become  her  better  than  any  ornament  of 
gold  and  pearls.  These  may  be  hung  on  the  neck  of  a 
wanton,  but  those  are  never  seen  disconnected  with 
moral  purity.  A  full-blown  rose,  besprinkled  with  the 


58  MUTUAL   AID. 

purest  dew,  is  not  so  beautiful  as  this  child  blushing 
beneath  her  parent's  displeasure,  and  shedding  tears  of 
sorrow  for  her  fault.  A  blush  is  the  sign  which  nature 
hangs  out  to  show  where  chastity  and  honor  dwell. 


XXIII. 


ONTINUING  his  remarks,  Gotthold  said: 
How  faithful  to  each  other  the  parts  of  the 
body  are  !  Let  any  offensive  and  shameful  ob- 
ject be  presented  to  the  countenance,  and  the 
heart  instantly  sympathizes  with  it,  and  de- 
spatches a  gush  of  blood  to  serve  as  a  veil  and  to  screen 
it  from  disgrace.  On  the  contrary,  let  the  heart  receive 
a  shock  from  violent  anger,  or  sudden  fright,  and  in- 
stantly the  blood  forsakes  the  countenance,  and  rushes 
to  the  help  of  the  suffering  member  ;  the  consequence 
of  which  is  that  we  grow  pale.  Christians  ought  to  act 
in  the  same  manner,  seeing  that  we  are  members  one 
of  another.  In  every  case  where  the  means  are  in  our 
power,  and  conscience  permits,  we  should  endeavor  to 
screen  our  neighbor's  shame,  take  his  affliction  to  heart, 
and  hasten  in  emergencies  to  his  aid.  From  the  fact 


RAIMENT.  59 

that  this  is  so  little  done,  it  may  be  inferred  that  good 
Christians  are  few  in  number.  Of  that  few,  grant,  0 
my  Father,  that  I  may  be  one ! 


XX  IV. 


HILE  walking  with  a  friend,  Gotthold  met 
a  young  man,  dressed  in  the  extreme  of  fash- 
ion, and  could  not  help  looking  back  at  him, 
and  exclaiming,  with  a  sigh:  0  righteous 
God  !  what  will  be  the  issue  of  this  rage  for 
novelties  and  vain  show  ?  How  happens  it  that  the 
world  more  and  more  seeks  her  honor  in  disgrace,  and 
her  wisdom  in  folly  ?  I  often  think  of  what  the  Holy 
Spirit  says1  of  Queen  Bernice,  viz.,  that  she  came  "with 
great  pomp"  (orig.  phantasy).  The  reigning  fashion 
seems  to  me  to  be  of  the  same  phantastic  character. 
There  is  hardly  any  one  who  now  considers  it  a  sin 
to  wear  a  mask,  and  conform  to  the  world.  But,  in- 
quired his  companion,  can  there  really  be  so  much 
sinful  ness  in  the  changes  which  dress  undergoes  ?  In 
itself,  replied  Gotthold,  dress  belongs  to  the  class  of 

1  Acts  xxv.  23. 


60  RAIMENT. 

things  neutral.  It  makes  a  man  neither  better  nor 
worse  in  the  sight  of  God,  it  draws  upon  him  neither 
the  Almighty's  favor  nor  frown ;  still  the  coat  shows 
what  the  man  and  what  his  heart  is.  Can  you  doubt 
that  many  a  one,  in  his  gay  attire,  cut  according  to 
the  newest  style,  is  an  idol  to  himself?  With  what 
pomp  and  pride  he  struts  along,  and  fancies  that  none 
makes  so  fine  a  figure.  Though  one  bow  ever  so  soon 
or  so  humbly  to  him,  yet  he,  on  the  contrary,  scarcely 
deigns  to  return  the  salutation.  In  this  way,  the  old 
man,  whom  we  are  bound  to  crucify  with  his  affections 
and  lusts,1  is  warmly  clothed,  expensively  ornamented, 
and  idolatrously  reverenced.  The  money  given  to  sup- 
ply the  wants  of  a  needy  brother,  is  wastefully  squan- 
dered, and  the  word  of  God  in  the  heart  choked  among 
thorns.  He  whose  frame  of  mind  is  such  that  he  is 
always  lying  abased  at  the  feet  of  the  Omnipotent, — 
he  who  does  not  despise  a  Christian  neighbor,  though 
in  poverty  and  rags,  —  he  who  is  ready  at  any  hour,  in 
obedience  to  the  will  of  God,  to  exchange  the  finest 
suit  for  the  beggar's  cloak  or  the  death-bed  shroud, 
may,  perhaps,  without1  sin,  wear  costly  raiment.  But 
how  the  children  of  the  world,  with  their  swelling 
pomp,  shall  contrive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate 
which  leadeth  unto  life,  must  be  left  for  them  to  try, 
if  they  will  have  it  so. 

1  Galatians  v.  24. 


THE   MILKY    WAY.  61 

My  God !  naked  came  I  into  this  world,  and  naked 
must  I  again  depart  out  of  it.  While  my  life  lasts, 
give  me  food  and  raiment  convenient  for  me.  If  my 
rank  or  office  require  a  better  dress,  disengage,  at  least, 
my  heart  from  it,  and  make  me  unconscious  of  what  I 
wear.  My  soul  desires  ornaments  of  a  different  kind. 
Let  the  blood  and  righteousness  of  Christ  be  my  badge 
and  robe  of  honor. 


XXV. 


\NE  starry  night,  as  he  stood  gazing  at  what  is 
called  the  milky  way,  Gotthold  thought  with 
himself  :  This  white  belt  in  the  heavens,  as 
one  of  the  ancients  has  said,  and  as  has  now 
been  demonstrated,  is  formed  by  the  shining 
of  innumerable  stars,  too  distant  from  us  to  be  per- 
ceptible, except  through  the  medium  of  the  telescope. 
To  me  it  presents,  first  of  all,  an  emblem  of  holy  Scrip- 
ture, which,  to  him  who  views  it  superficially,  appears 
obscure  and  dim  ;  whereas  he  who  contemplates  it  in 
spirit,  and  through  the  perspective  of  faith,  discovers 
a  thousand  sparkling  stars  of  doctrine  and  consolation. 
Again,  the  milky  way  also  reminds  me  of  the  glorious 


62  THE   MAGNET. 

assembly  of  the  saints  in  the  life  eternal.  Of  this,  in 
our  natural  condition,  we  know  nothing.  But  if  we 
take  the  glass  of  faith  and  Divine  contemplation,  we 
then  discover  that  verily  the  spirits  of  the  blessed 
shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the 
stars  for  ever  and  ever.1  And  yet  all  about  the  heav- 
enly world  appears  small  and  scarcely  perceptible,  be- 
cause we  are  still  at  so  great  a  distance  from  it.  If, 
however,  by  the  will  of  God,  we  one  day  reach  that 
blessed  place,  then  shall  we  fully  know  what  it  is,  and 
be  forever  satisfied. 


XXVI. 


may  shake  or  push  the  magnetic  needle 
from  its  position,  continued  Gotthold,  but  it 
returns  to  it  the  moment  you  leave  it  to  itself. 
In  like  manner,  believers  may  fall  into  sin, 
and  deviate  from  the  line  of  duty ;  but  no 
sooner  have  they  leisure  for  reflection,  than  they  en- 
deavor to  amend,  and  resume  a  life  of  godliness.  On 
the  contrary,  the  wicked  watch  for  opportunities  to  do 
evil,  and  yield  to  all  the  temptations  of  the  devil  and 
the  world. 

1  Daniel  xii.  3. 


II  A  NS   PRIEM.  63 


XXVII. 


U  R  worthy  forefathers,  said  Gotthold,  have  left 
us  a  tale  in  verse,  of  which  the  purpose  is  to 
show  how  difficult,  and  yet  how  necessary  it 
is  sometimes  to  keep  silence.  The  substance 
of  the  story  is  as  follows  : 
Hans  Priem  was  admitted  into  paradise  on  the  ex- 
press condition  that  he  was  not  to  indulge  a  habit  he 
had  acquired  of  censuring  and  criticising  whatever 
came  under  his  notice.  Accordingly,  he  saw  two  an- 
gels carrying  a  beam  crossways,  and  knocking  it  against 
every  object  they  met,  but  said  nothing.  He  next  saw 
two  other  angels  drawing  water  from  a  fountain,  and 
pouring  it  into  a  cask  which  had  holes  in  the  bottom, 
and  was  much  surprised,  but  still  held  his  peace.  At 
many  other  things  of  the  same  kind  he  also  suppressed 
his  laughter  and  remarks,  apprehending  that  he  might 
otherwise  be  expelled  the  place.  At  last,  however,  he 
saw  a  cart  stuck  fast  in  the  mire,  with  one  pair  of 
horses  yoked  into  it  before,  and  another  pair  behind, 
and  the  carter  urging  both  simultaneously  forward. 
This  being  a  matter  which  belonged  to  his  own  profes- 
sion, it  was  more  than  Hans  could  do  to  refrain  from 
criticising  it,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  he  was 
seized  by  two  angels,  and  turned  to  the  door.  Before 


64  THE  FRUIT    TREES. 

it  closed  behind  him,  however,  he  looked  back,  and  per- 
ceived that  the  horses  were  winged,  and  had  succeeded 
in  drawing  the  cart  out  of  the  mud  into  the  air ;  nor 
can  there  be  any  doubt  that  in  the  other  cases  of  the 
beam  and  the  cask,  there  were  equally  good  reasons  for 
what  was  done. 

Wherefore,  let  us  learn  to  hold  our  peace,  and  refrain 
from  censuring  the  ways  of  God.  But  where  am  I  run- 
ning ?  In  praising  silence,  I  have  become  loquacious ! 
My  God !  do  Thou  Thyself  instruct  me  when  to  speak 
and  when  to  hold  my  tongue. 


XXVIII. 

CIj*  Jfrutt  Cms, 

N  a  company  of  friends,  assembled  in  an  orchard, 
the  question  arose,  whether  it  was  better  to  prune 
the  under  branches  of  the  young  trees,  and  so 
_  rear  them  straight  and  tall,  or  suffer  them  to  ex- 
*  tend  in  breadth  ?  The  majority  were  of  opinion 
that  the  former  was  the  preferable  method,  because  the 
tall  and  straight  tree  occupies  less  space  in  the  garden, 
and  yet  bears  finer  and  more  highly  flavored  fruit.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  was  remarked,  that  such  a  tree,  with 


THE  FRUIT    TREES.  65 

the  crop  it  bears,  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind,  which 
often  prematurely  shakes  it,  and  scatters  the  fruit,  long 
ere  it  is  ripe,  upon  the  ground.  Gotthold  heard  the 
conversation,  and  said :  The  way  to  settle  this  dispute 
is  to  leave  every  one  to  do  in  the  matter  as  he  thinks 
best,  and  as  is  best  adapted  to  the  extent  of  his  ground. 
Let  me,  however,  embrace  the  opportunity  of  directing 
your  minds  to  the  question,  Whether,  for  the  godly  and 
virtuous  man,  it  be  more  desirable  to  live  in  a  humble 
rank,  or  to  aspire  after  a  higher  position  ?  It  is  true 
that  he  who  is  exalted  above  others  by  a  post  of  honor, 
and  who  yet  adorns  his  lofty  boughs  with  fruits  of  god- 
liness and  virtue,  while  he  also  bends  them  with  humil- 
ity to  the  ground,  is  a  tree  in  which  both  God  and  man 
delight,  and  whose  fruit  has  the  richer  flavor  the  higher 
it  grows.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  a  fact  to  be  deplored, 
that  a  faint  wind  often  agitates  the  lofty  tree,  by  which 
I  mean  that  the  man  of  rank  is  exposed  to  many  in- 
ducements to  shake  off  the  fruits  of  godliness,  and  is 
too  often  found  a  barren  stock.  On  the  other  hand, 
serious  defects  are  also  prevalent  among  persons  of  a 
humble  station,  as,  for  example,  that  they  stretch  the 
arms  of  greed  and  selfishness  around  them  further  than 
they  ought,  or  in  other  ways  deport  themselves  in  an 
unseemly  manner,  and  thereby  bring  condemnation  on 
their  fruit.  St.  Paul  tells  us  this  when  he  says  :  As  the 
Lord  hath  called  every  one,  so  let  him  walk.1  It  is 

l  1  Corinthians  vii.  17. 


66  GOING    TO    CHURCH. 

right  that  he  whom  God  hath  highly  exalted  should 
aspire  after  high  things,  and  none  are  higher  than 
those  which  are  heavenly  and  divine.  But  let  him 
whom  the  Most  High  has  placed  in  a  low  estate  com- 
fort himself  with  the  thought,  that  godly  humility  is 
the  shortest  way  to  true  greatness.  All  who  are  filled 
with  the  fruits  of  righteousness  unto  His  glory 1  are 
dear  to  God,  whether  they  be  high  or  low. 

My  God !  make  me,  though  a  lowly,  yet  a  fruitful 
tree.  In  this  world  I  cannot  reach  my  proper  height ; 
but  when  transplanted  by  Thee  into  Thy  celestial  gar- 
den, I  shall  flourish  and  grow  forever. 


XXIX. 

to 


EE,  said  Gotthold  to  his  family,  as  they  were 
setting  out  for  church,  that  none  of  you  forget 
himself,  and  leave  the  true  church  at  home. 
The  true  church  is  a  devout  heart,  anxious  both 
to  learn  and  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and  unless 
you  take  it  along  with  you,  you  may  as  well  stay  at 
home.  The  pictures,  pillars,  seats,  and  benches,  have 

l  Philippians  i.  11. 


GOING    TO   CHURCH.  67 

been  in  the  church  for  many  a  year,  yet  still  continue 
lifeless  things.  You,  however,  are  rational  men,  nay, 
more,  baptized  Christians ;  you  have  ears  to  hear,  and 
a  heart  to  understand  God's  Word,  and  unless  you  use 
your  ears  and  hearts,  going  to  church  will  do  you  no 
good.  Nay,  on  the  great  day  of  judgment,  there  will 
be  many  for  whom  it  would  have  been  better  never  to 
have  had  the  opportunity  of  entering  a  church  door, 
than  to  have  frequently  gone  to  it,  but  just  as  often 
returned  from  it  without  fruit  or  improvement.  On 
that  day,  it  will  be  more  tolerable  for  those  who  did 
not  know  the  Word  of  God,  than  for  those  who  pos- 
sessed it  abundantly,  and  heard  it  often,  but  did  not 
act  according  to  it.  Must  the  fig-tree  which,  in  its  nat- 
ural state,  bore  no  fruit,  be  hewn  down  ?  Then,  surely, 
much  more  that  which,  after  all  the  pains  of  the  hus- 
bandman, remains  unprofitable  still.1  After  they  had  set 
out,  Gotthold  sighed,  and  said :  Oh !  Lord  Jesus,  beloved 
Saviour,  there  are  many  churches  upon  the  earth,  but 
few  hearts  that  are  churches  to  Thee.  Here,  however,  is 
my  heart ;  here  the  hearts  of  all  my  family ;  take,  and 
occupy  them;  sanctify  them  by  Thy  Spirit;  sprinkle 
them  with  Thy  righteousness ;  drive  from  them  Satan  and 
all  wickedness  ;  fill  them  with  Thy  grace  ;  protect  them 
by  Thy  power ;  refresh  them  with  Thy  consolations  ;  up- 
hold them  unto  salvation  by  Thy  strength,  and  so  make 
them,  both  in  time  and  eternity,  Thy  sanctuary  and 
dwelling-place. 

1  Luke  xiii.  7—9. 


68  THE  NOTE-BOOK. 


XXX. 


AY  ING  one  day  purchased  a  few  note-books, 
Gotthold  took  occasion  to  say  to  a  friend  who 
was  with  him  :  This  reminds  me  of  the  words 
of  a  great  and  enlightened  statesman,  who, 
being  asked  by  a  young  gentleman  what  trea- 
tise on  the  art  of  government  he  could  recommend  as 
the  best,  replied  :  A  book  of  white  paper.  Take  such 
a  book,  journey  with  it  through  the  world,  carefully 
attend  to  every  matter,  whether  political  or  not,  which 
appears  to  you  remarkable,  note  it  for  the  information 
of  yourself  and  others,  and  in  this  way  you  will  make 
an  excellent  work,  from  which  you  may  learn  much. 
The  sagacious  man,  it  appears,  preferred  experience 
and  observation  to  all  other  books.  And  why  should 
not  I  entertain  the  same  opinion  on  spiritual  matters  ? 
I  do  believe,  that  were  a  person,  from  his  earliest  in- 
fancy, to  note  and  register  all  the  Divine  blessings,  and 
all  the  miracles  of  goodness  and  severity  which,  in  the 
course  of  his  life,  he  observed  and  experienced,  he 
would  compose  an  excellent  and  most  useful  book. 
Nothing  could  be  more  edifying  than  to  be  reminded, 
by  its  perusal,  how  wonderfully,  and  yet  how  graciously 
we  had  been  led,  and  how  effectually  comforted  by 


THE  POST.  69 

God,  and  how  various  the  ways,  and  abundant  the 
measures,  in  which  His  fatherly  love,  truth,  long-suf- 
fering, care,  and  goodness,  had  been  manifested  towards 
us !  For  my  own  part,  were  I  circumstantially  to  re- 
cord all  the  mercy  which  He  has  made  to  pass  before 
me,  the  narrative  would  fill  many  volumes. 

Well  then,  my  God,  I  have  learned  from  experience 
that  my  God  Thou  truly  art.  So  numerous  are  the 
proofs  I  have  had  of  Thy  fatherly  care  and  faithfulness, 
that  were  I  to  fail  in  reliance  upon  Thee,  it  would  be 
the  height  of  injustice. 


XXXI. 

t  fist. 


0  T  T  H  0  L  D  happening  to  receive  a  letter 
brought  by  the  post  in  a  very  few  days  from  a 
somewhat  distant  place,  a  person  who  was  pres- 
ent observed :  How  useful  an  institution  the 
post  is,  by  which  we  are  enabled  in  so  short  a 
time  to  hear  from,  and  hold  intercourse  with,  our  dis- 
tant friends.  Gotthold  replied :  It  is  a  just  remark. 
The  posts  are  now  everywhere  well-appointed,  and  there 
are  few  places  not  provided  with  them.  But  what  edi- 


70  THE  POST. 

fying  thoughts  are  they  fitted  to  suggest  ?  There  can 
be  little  doubt  that  covetousness  and  curiosity  are  the 
two  steeds  by  which  most  of  the  mails  are  drawn.  Of 
that,  however,  I  shall  say  no  more.  Let  us  rather  re- 
flect on  something  which  the  world  in  general  forgets, 
viz.,  that  we  may,  if  we  please,  have  a  mail  to  heaven, 
conveying  in  a  moment  intelligence  of  our  condition 
and  concerns,  our  wants  and  desires  to  our  God  and 
Father,  and  bringing  back  to  us  a  gracious  answer,  with 
advice  and  comfort,  protection  and  help.  Blessed  be 
the  Father  of  Mercy,  and  the  God  of  all  consolation, 
who  has  not  left  us  destitute  of  such  a  means  of  com- 
munication with  Himself!  Prayer  is  the  swift  courier, 
and  sighs  the  winged  messengers.  Doves  have  been 
trained  to  fly  from  place  to  place,  carrying  letters  in  a 
little  casket,  fastened  to  their  neck  or  foot.  They  are 
swift  of  flight,  but  our  prayers  and  sighs  are  swifter, 
for  they  take  but  a  moment  to  pass  from  earth  to 
heaven,  and  bear  the  troubles  of  our  heart  to  the  heart 
of  God.  These  messengers  no  hostile  force  can  detain ; 
they  penetrate  the  clouds,  never  linger  on  the  way,  and 
never  desist  until  the  Most  High  attends.  A  tyrant 
may  shut  up  a  godly  man  in  the  deepest  dungeon,  im- 
mure him  between  massive  walls,  and  forbid  him  all 
intercourse  with  his  fellow-men,  but  these  messengers 
he  cannot  restrain ;  in  defiance  of  all  obstacles,  they 
report  to  the  Omniscient  the  affliction  of  the  victim, 
and  bring  back  to  him  the  Divine  consolation. 


THE   SAILORS.  71 

0  my  Father!  I  thank  Thee  for  having,  despite  the 
devil  and  the  world,  vouchsafed  to  us  a  channel  of 
communication,  and  boldness  to  converse  with  Thyself. 
Grant  unto  me  that  I  may  at  all  times  use  my  privilege 
with  filial  reverence  and  confidence :  And  by  such  a 
post  as  this,  viz.,  my  last  sigh,  breathed  by  the  strength 
of  Thy  Spirit  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  may  my  soul  at 
length  perform  its  journey  from  earth  to  heaven ! 


XXXII. 


EING  one  day  upon  the  banks  of  a  river,  Gott- 
ty  hold  beheld  a  party  of  sailors  impelling  their 
vessel  against  the  stream.  Sometimes  fasten- 
ing their  ropes  to  a  tree  or  post,  they  towed  it 
forward  ;  at  other  times,  going  ashore  and  har- 
nessing themselves  to  the  ropes,  they  dragged  it  after 
them.  Here,  said  he,  I  have  an  emblem  of  my  own 
voyage  to  heaven.  The  world  is  the  mighty  stream 
which  sweeps  multitudes  away  into  the  gulf  of  perdi- 
tion. I  must  stem  the  torrent  with  my  little  bark, 
being  commanded  not  to  be  conformed  to  the  world, 
nor  to  love  either  it  or  its  lusts.1  For  this  purpose, 

l  Romans  xii.  2;  1  John  ii.  15. 


72  THE  BED   OF  FLOWERS. 

labor  is  indispensable.  My  sighs  and  yearnings  are  the 
ropes,  my  resolution  the  post,  and  my  strength  is  in 
God  and  his  Spirit.  Here  I  strain  every  nerve,  reach- 
ing forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before.1  Here 
there  must  be  no  pause  or  relaxation.  Were  these  sail- 
ors to  intermit  their  exertions,  the  stream  would  soon 
bear  down  their  vessel  to  its  starting-place.  The  same 
thing  happens  in  our  Christian  experience.  If  we 
cease  to  fight  with  ourselves  and  the  world,  or  relax 
our  diligence  in  prayer,  and  other  holy  exercises,  we 
soon  become  sensible  of  the  backsliding  and  decline  of 
our  inner  man. 

My  God,  help  me  always  resolutely  to  strive,  and 
through  life  and  death,  to  force  my  way  unto  Thee. 


XXXIII. 

*ir  0f 


iQTTHOLD  ordered  a  parterre  in  his  garden 
to  be  dressed  afresh,  and  planted  with  all  va- 
rieties of  bulbs.  The  work,  when  finished,  sug- 
gested to  him  the  following  reflections:  Al- 
though the  gardener  has  exercised  his  fckill 
upon  this  plot  of  ground,  and  given  it  a  form,  which 

1  Thilippians  iii.  13. 


THE  BED   OF  FLOWERS.  73 

adds  greatly  to  its  beauty,  nevertheless,  like  other  earth, 
it  still  retains  the  wildness  of  its  nature,  and  unless 
carefully  kept,  would,  ere  long,  be  overgrown  with 
weeds.  It  is  the  same  with  the  heart  of  God's  chil- 
dren. No  doubt  they  have  experienced  a  blessed  re- 
generation, have  become  other  men,  and  by  the  grace, 
word,  and  spirit  of  their  heavenly  Father,  been  trans- 
formed and  renewed  in  heart.  Still  the  innate  sinful- 
ness  continues  lurking  within  them,  and  must  daily  be 
kept  under,  by  repentance  and  prayer,  struggles  and 
holy  resolutions.  They  who  are  sincerely  pious,  do  in- 
deed forsake  sin,  but  sin  does  not  forsake  them. 

My  God,  I  acknowledge  all  the  grace,  and  pains,  and 
labor  which  Thou  hast  expended  on  the  cultivation  of 
my  poor  and  desert  heart.  I  thank  Thee  for  having 
traced  upon  it  an  outline  of  genuine  godliness,  and 
planted  it  with  holy  aspirations  and  desires,  which  are 
the  roots  of  all  the  virtues.  But,  0  my  Father,  Thou 
knowest  the  nature  of  the  soil.  Sins  still  harbor  in  my 
bosom  ;  and  though,  as  Thou  also  knowest,  I  take  pains 
to  extirpate  and  subdue  them,  the  corrupt  principle 
remains  concealed  in  my  flesh,  is  ever  active,  and 
breaks  forth  where  it  can.  My  God,  my  own  care  and 
pains  are  too  slender  and  weak.  Do  Thou,  therefore, 
take  me  and  take  my  poor  heart  under  Thy  charge. 
Extirpate,  subdue,  restrain  sin,  and  cause  the  flowers 
of  faith  and  charity  to  grow,  and  increase  within  me, 
that  my  soul  may  become  a  garden  of  delight  to  Thee. 


74  THE    VIOLET. 


XXXIY. 

*  Violti. 


•AYING-  been  presented  with  a  bunch  of  blue 
violets,  Gotthold  regaled  himself  with  their  de- 
lightful fragrance,  and  thanked  God  for  the 
manifold  kinds  of  refreshment  which  He  pro- 
vides for  man.  He  also  took  occasion  to  express 
the  following  thoughts :  This  beautiful  and  odoriferous 
little  flower  may  furnish  me  with  a  pleasing  image  of 
a  humble  and  godly  heart.  It  is  a  lowly  plant,  and 
creeps  upon  the  ground ;  but,  nevertheless,  it  charms 
the  eye  with  its  celestial  blue,  and,  by  its  noble  per- 
fume, far  excels  many  of  its  more  stately  and  pom- 
pous mates  of  the  garden,  such  as  the  tulip  and  im- 
perial crown.  In  the  same  way,  there  are  persons 
who,  to  themselves  and  others,  appear  base  and  hum- 
ble, but  who  resemble  the  Lord  Jesus  in  meekness  and 
lowliness  of  heart.  They  thus  bear  the  genuine  hue 
of  heaven,  and  are  preferred  by  God  to  others  who 
parade  their  spiritual  or  bodily  gifts.  The  apothecary, 
too,  extracts  the  juice  of  this  little  flower,  and,  mixing 
it  with  melted  sugar,  produces  a  cooling  and  invigor- 
ating cordial ;  and  even  so  the  Most  High  infuses  the 
syrup  of  His  grace  into  the  humble  heart,  and  so  makes 
it  the  means  of  comfort  and  edification  to  others. 


THE   CABINET  OF  CURIOSITIES.  75 

My  God !  my  glory  shall  be  not  to  seek  my  own 
glory,  but  Thine.  I  have  no  wish  to  be  a  gaudy 
flower,  if  I  can  only  please  Thee,  and  profit  my  neigh- 
bor. Greatness  does  not  consist  in  the  mere  possession 
of  lofty  gifts,  but  in  using  lofty  gifts  with  a  humble 
mind  to  the  praise  of  the  Most  High. 


XXXV. 

t  Cabitut  0f  Curiosities, 


N  a  company  of  persons  of  rank,  the  conversation 
happening  to  turn  upon  the  museum  of  a  prince, 
several  who  had  seen  it  mentioned  various  ob- 
jects, which,  partly  for  the  labor  expended  upon 
them,  partly  for  their  rarity,  and  partly,  likewise, 
for  their  great  intrinsic  value,  were  held  in  high  esti- 
mation. Gotthold  remarked  as  follows :  An  eminent 
and  pious  clergyman,  having  once  inspected  a  similar 
cabinet,  interrogated  his  companions,  on  their  way  out, 
which  of  all  the  costly  objects  it  contained  seemed  to 
them  the  most  excellent  and  precious.  With  one  ac- 
cord, and  consonant  to  the  opinion  of  the  keeper,  who 
had  shown  them  the  cabinet,  they  fixed  upon  a  piece 
of  jewelry,  in  which  were  set  many  large  Oriental  dia- 
monds. Whereupon,  the  clergyman  observed:  I  per- 


76  THE   LOST   OBJECT. 

ceive  that  you  have  yet  to  learn  to  put  a  just  value  on 
yourselves.  Your  Saviour  places  the  human  soul  in 
the  balance  with  the  world,  and,  after  weighing  them, 
pronounces  the  soul  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  the 
two,  saying,  What  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain 
the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul?1  There  is 
not  one  object  to  be  seen  in  this  treasury  which  was 
not  purchased  with  gold  or  silver.  The  soul,  however, 
is  far  too  valuable  to  be  bought  at  any  such  price,  and, 
therefore,  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb 
without  spot  and  blemish,  required  to  be  paid  for  it.2 
Besides,  every  object  here  is  of  a  transitory  nature, 
and  subject  to  vanity.  The  soul,  however,  is  immor- 
tal, and  for  that  reason  ought  to  be  justly  prized,  as 
the  most  precious  of  jewels. 


XXXVI.- 

tt&*  fast 

^HEREFORE,   proceeded   Gotthold,  whatever 
else  you  may  do,  I  beseech  you  see  that  you 


keep  with  care  the  precious  jewel   of  your 
immortal  soul.    In  these  days  of  ours,  means 
have  been  devised  for  searching  and  recover- 
ing lost  things  out  of  navigable  rivers,  and  even  the 

1  Matt.  xvi.  26.  2  1  Peter  i.  18. 


THE   LUTE.  77 

tempestuous  sea ;  but  who  knows  how  to  rescue  a  lost 
soul  from  the  abyss  of  hell  ?  Alas !  exclaimed  one  of 
the  company,  this  jewel  is  far  from  safe,  when  entrusted 
to  such  care  as  ours ;  and  He  who  is  the  keeper  of 
Israel,  and  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps,1  must  under- 
take the  larger  share  of  the  task.  To  which  Gotthold 
replied :  How  true  that  is  ! 

Lord  Jesus,  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  my  soul !  Thou 
knowest  best  of  any  how  much  a  soul  is  worth.  What- 
ever it  may  be  to  a  man,  a  precious  jewel  it  is  to  Thee, 
bought  at  an  untold  price.  And  that  which  is  Thine 
own,  Thou  wilt  know  how  to  keep,  that  the  devil  may 
never  steal  it  away. 


XXXVII. 

Ifntt. 


evening  one  of  a  company  of  friends  de- 
spatched a  servant  to  his  house  for  his  lute,  and 
found  that,  when  brought  into  the  apartment,  it 
had  lost  tune,  as  usually  happens  to  these  instru- 
ments when  exposed  to  changes  of  weather  or 
atmosphere.  While  the  owner  was  tightening  the 
strings,  Gotthold,  who  was  present,  thought  with  him- 

1  Tsalm  cxxi.  4. 


78  THE  LUTE. 

self:  What  is  sweeter  than  a  well-tuned  lute,  and  what 
more  delightful  than  a  faithful  friend  —  one  who  can 
cheer  us  in  sorrow  with  wise  and  affectionate  dis- 
course !  Nothing,  however,  is  sooner  untuned  than  a 
lute ;  and  nothing  is  more  fickle  than  human  friend- 
ship. The  tone  of  the  one  changes  with  the  weather, 
that  of  the  other  with  fortune.  With  a  clear  sky,  a 
bright  sun,  and  a  gentle  breeze,  you  will  have  friends 
in  plenty ;  but  let  fortune  frown,  and  the  firmament  be 
overcast,  and  then  your  friends  will  prove  like  the 
strings  of  this  lute,  of  which  you  will  tighten  ten  before 
you  find  one  that  will  bear  the  tension  and  keep  the 
pitch. 


XXXVIII. 


,  proceeded  Gotthold,  after  a  pause,  why  com- 
plain of  others,  when  I  find  a  match  for  the 
lute  within  myself?  What  is  my  mind,  if  not 
an  instrument  easily  put  out  of  tune  ?  In  fair 
weather  it  rings  loud  and  clear  ;  I  mean  that 
when  caressed  by  fortune,  it  is  haughty  and  insolent, 
enamored  of  self,  and  prone  to  fancy  that  all  it  thinks 


THE  PICTURE.  79 

and  contrives  is  good  and  pleasing  both  to  God  and 
man.  Only,  however,  let  the  weather  change,  and  the 
sun  of  prosperity  dim  its  beams,  and  hide  behind  dark 
clouds  of  trouble,  and  then  our  courage  vanishes ;  we 
give  ourselves  up  to  despondency,  and  anxious  thoughts 
make  a  strange  medley  within  us. 

Yes,  my  God,  my  mind  is  indeed  variable  as  a  lute, 
and  good  for  nothing,  unless  from  hour  to  hour  Thou 
tunest  it  afresh.  Enable  me  in  all  weathers  decreed 
for  me  by  Thy  providence,  to  keep  the  pitch,  and  may 
that  ever  be,  Thy  will  be  done. 


XXXIX. 


,N  opulent  man  had  taken  down  several  fine 
paintings  which  adorned  the  walls  of  his  house, 
cleaned  off  the  dust  with  a  whisk  of  feathers 
and  a  moist  cloth,  and  then  exposed  them  to 
the  sun,  knowing  that  this  is  the  way  to 
brighten  paintings  in  oil,  and  renew  their  original 
beauty  and  freshness  ;  whereas  water-color  rubs  oif 
with  the  impurities.  Gotthold,  on  being  told  the  mat- 
ter, observed  :  Like  pictures  in  water-colors  are  false 
Christians,  who  possess  the  form  of  godliness,  but  deny 


80        THE   STRAIGHT  AND   THE  CROOKED    TREE. 

the  power,1  and  may  for  a  time  deceive  men,  because 
men  can  see  no  further  than  the  outward  appearance. 
They  are  known,  however,  to  God,  who  tries  the  Heart 
and  the  reins,  and  will  be  cast  by  Him  into  everlasting 
fire,  as  unworthy  to  enter  heaven.  As  for  true  Chris- 
tians, whose  hearts  have  been  thoroughly  penetrated  by 
the  oil  of  the  Gospel,  and  have  taken  their  hue  from 
the  blood  of  Christ,  they  stand  the  proof,  endure  trial, 
and  come  more  beautiful  out  of  every  temptation. 

Grant,  Lord  Jesus,  that  my  Christianity  may  be  well 
founded  and  genuine,  and  that  no  accident  may  have 
power  to  blot  Thine  image  from  my  heart ! 


XL. 

antr  il*  Cr00Iuir  Cm. 


HILE  Gotthold  was  one  day  walking  in  a 
wood  with  a  friend,  the  latter  spoke  to  him, 
with  sorrow,  of  his  son,  who,  he  said,  was  a 
simple  lad,  could  not  be  taught  manners,  un- 
derstood little  of  his  tasks,  and  was  too  shy 
to  speak  to  a  stranger  ;  but  yet,  in  other  respects,  was 
of  a  pious  disposition,  feared  God,  took  pleasure  in 

1  2  Timothy  iii.  6. 


THE  STRAIGHT  AND   THE  CROOKED    TREE.       81 

prayer,  and  was  obedient  to  the  slightest  hint  of  his 
parents.  Gotthold  thereupon  directed  his  attention  to 
two  trees, — the  one  beautiful  and  straight,  and  without 
a  branch  from  the  root  to  the  top,  which  it  had  pushed 
high  into  the  air,  and  spread  out  in  a  graceful  circle ; 
the  other,  with  plenty  of  branches,  gnarled  and  crooked, 
—  and  then  inquired :  If  you  had  the  choice  of  these 
two  trees,  which  of  them  would  you  prefer  ?  Without 
much  reflection,  his  friend  pointed  to  the  straight  one, 
and  said :  This  would  be  useful  for  building,  and  va- 
rious purposes,  whereas  the  other  is  so  crooked,  warped, 
and  knotty,  that  it  is  good  for  notliing.  Attempting  to 
manufacture  anything  out  of  it  would  be  only  wasting 
tools,  and  even  to  split  or  hew  it  into  fuel  for  the  fire, 
would  be  a  difficult  task.  Well,  said  Gotthold,  this 
straight  tree  is  the  emblem  of  a  simple-minded,  plain, 
and  honest  man,  who  grows  up  in  unfeigned  godliness, 
feeds  his  mind  with  heavenly  thoughts,  seeks  those 
things  that  are  above,  and  stretches  forth  his  hands  and 
heart  towards  God  and  heaven.  Such  persons  are  often 
chosen  by  the  Most  High  to  be  pillars  in  his  temple.1 
That  other,  however,  is  the  proper  image  of  a  subtle, 
crafty,  and  intriguing  person,  who  is  full  of  tricks  and 
cunning,  knots  and  branches.  Of  what  use  is  such  a 
character,  unless  to  trouble  himself  and  others  ?  If  he 
who  has  little  wit  needs  a  master  to  inform  his  stupid- 
ity, he  who  has  much  frequently  needs  ten  to  keep  in 

1  Rev.  iii.  12. 


82  THE  SUN-DIAL. 

check  his  worldly  wisdom,  which  might  otherwise,  like 
a  high-mettled  charger,  toss  him  to  the  ground.  It  is 
better  to  have  a  son  who  is  simple,  good,  and  pious,  than 
one  self-willed,  reckless,  and  sharp  at  all  kinds  of  vil- 
lany. 


XLI. 


XAMININGr  the  sun-dial,  to  ascertain  if  the 
clocks  were  right,  Gotthold  said  to  himself: 
Dials  are  no  doubt  most  ingenious  contri- 
vances; but,  however  ingenious,  they  are  of 
no  use  when  the  sun  does  not  shine.  It  is 
the  same  with  us.  Destitute  of  the  grace  of  God, 
and  of  the  quickening  and  enlightening  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  we  too,  whatever  be  our  natural  gifts 
and  talents,  are  good  for  nothing.  The  wise  are  not 
wise,  and  the  most  prudent  counsellors  go  farthest 
wrong,  when  their  understanding  and  judgment  are 
not  irradiated  by  the  beams  of  grace  from  heaven. 
The  acutest  intellects  fall  into  the  most  fatal  errors, 
unless  they  humbly  acknowledge  their  inability,  and 
turn  to  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  and  seek  to  catch 
its  rays.  Nay,  the  most  ingenious  heads  are  like  the 
finest  watches,  which,  without  constant  inspection,  are 


THE   DEER.  83 

often  the  first  to  stop.  What,  then,  must  be  the  con- 
sequence of  imagining  that  we  know  much,  when  all 
our  knowledge,  however  great,  is  not  only  useless,  but 
even  hurtful,  both  to  ourselves  and  others,  unless  we 
also  humbly  and  devoutly  imbibe  the  light  of  grace 
from  heaven ! 

My  God  !  By  Thy  grace  I  am  what  I  am.  Let  not 
Thy  grace  which  has  been  given  unto  me,  be  given  in 
vain.  Cause  the  light  of  Thy  countenance  to  shine 
upon  me,  that  I  may  be  able  and  willing  to  serve  many. 


XLII. 


OTTHOLD  one  day  saw  a  number  of  deer 
which  a  prince  had  ordered  to  be  caught  and 
enclosed  in  wooden  cages,  as  a  present,  to  be 
sent  to  a  brother  monarch  across  the  seas. 
It  seemed  very  remarkable  that,  however  wild  and 
shy  these  animals  had  formerly  been,  they  now  fear- 
lessly ate  barley,  hay,  cabbage,  and  everything  of  a 
similar  sort,  from  the  hand.  Gotthold  observing  this, 
said  to  himself :  0  my  God,  how  blessed  is  the  yoke 
of  the  Cross,  and  how  useful  in  making  us  good  and 


84  THE  DEER. 

meek !  When  man  is  exempt  from  affliction,  when  he 
is  enjoying  pleasure,  health,  and  friends,  then  he  stalks 
through  the  world,  like  the  wild  stag  through  the  for- 
est, feeling  no  want,  and  caring  as  little  for  Thee  as 
the  stag  does  for  me.  The  stag,  when  at  large,  flies 
from  the  sight  of  a  human  being,  and  will  take  noth- 
ing, be  it  ever  so  good  and  precious,  from  his  hand. 
In  the  season  of  prosperity,  we  do  the  same ;  when 
Thy  voice  calleth,  Where  art  thou,  my  children  ?  we 
hide  ourselves.1  When  Thou  wouldest  entice  us,  we 
flee  away.  When  Thou  offerest  Thy  grace  in  the 
Word,  we  have  no  taste  for  it.  Our  soul  loatheth 
Thy  light  bread,2  and  we  avoid  Thee  as  an  enemy. 
But  as  the  huntsman  waylays  the  stag  in  its  security, 
and  prostrates  it  with  an  unsuspected  bullet ;  so  never 
is  our  soul  in  greater  danger  than  when  we  deem  our- 
selves exposed  to  none. 

Thanks  be  to  Thee  my  God,  that  we  are  not  left 
exposed  to  peril  like  this.  Thou  lettest  loose  upon 
us  the  persecutor  and  the  slanderer.  Thou  entanglest 
and  takest  us  captive  in  the  meshes  of  all  sorts  of 
trouble.  Thou  enclosest  us  within  the  bars  of  poverty, 
sickness,  and  affliction,  both  of  mind  and  body.  Then 
do  we  begin  to  think  of  Thee,  become  humble  and 
devout,  acknowledge  Thee  as  our  God  and  Father, 
and  eagerly  accept  the  consolations  presented  by  Thy 
gracious  hand. 

l  Gen.  iii.  9.  2  Numb.  xxi.  6. 


ELECTION.  85 

XL  TIL 

Ian. 

(AST  down  with  melancholy,  a  person  com- 
plained to  Gotthold  that  he  was  often  betrayed 
against  his  will  into  thinking  of  the  decree 
of  election,  and  that  when  he  considered  how 
great  is  the  number  of  the  reprobate,  and  how 
small  that  of  the  elect,  he  could  not  help  doubting 
whether  he  belonged  to  that  few,  and  had  a  right  to 
believe  himself  ordained  to  life  eternal.  Gotthold  said 
to  him  in  reply :  It  happens  to  you  as  to  foolish  chil- 
dren, who,  from  curiosity,  or  want  of  sense,  frequently 
mount  upon  a  ladder  or  stair,  far  higher  than  their 
heads  can  bear,  and  when  they  are  up,  know  not  how 
to  descend  again.  I  remember  an  instance  of  a  child 
venturing  out  from  a  high  window  upon  some  boards, 
placed  as  a  stand  for  flowers,  and,  in  extreme  danger, 
proceeding  to  his  father's  apartment,  and  looking  in 
upon  him  at  his  studies.  You  are  guilty  of  the  same 
folly ;  you  venture  into  a  dangerous  place,  climb  too 
high,  and  wish  to  have  a  look  into  the  council-chamber 
of  the  Most  High.  But,  my  friend,  who  bade  you  do 
this?  Reckon  it  for  certain  that  these  thoughts  are 
but  phantoms  conjured  up  by  the  devil,  and  intended 
to  plunge  you  into  misery,  spiritual  danger,  and  con- 
tinual despondency.  What  the  Scripture  says  of  the 


86  THE    TREES    IN   WINTER. 

election  of  grace,  it  says  not  for  the  purpose  of  troub- 
ling and  terrifying  poor  souls  assailed  by  temptation, 
burdened  with  a  sense  of  sin,  and  anxious  to  be  deliv- 
ered from  it,  but  rather  for  the  purpose  of  soothing 
their  distress.  The  very  reason  why  God's  only  Son 
came  down  to  us  here  on  earth  was,  to  save  us  from 
the  necessity  of  soaring  on  the  wings  of  dangerous 
thought  to  heaven,  in  order  to  learn  there  how  God  is 
disposed  towards  us,  and  what  he  has  decreed  respect- 
ing our  salvation. 


XLIV. 

Cms  in 


)RUE  believers,  said  Gotthold,  have  seasons  of 
unfruitfulness,  in  which  they  bring  forth  no 
good  works,  or  devout  thoughts  and  aspira- 
tions. They  are  like  the  trees  in  winter,  which, 
although  destitute  of  leaves,  are  not  destitute 
of  sap  and  life,  and  therefore,  when  spring  returns,  bud 
and  blossom,  and  bear  afresh.  The  ungodly,  however, 
resemble  withered  trees,  which  at  all  seasons  alike  are 
without  sap  and  life  and  fruit,  and  consequently  are  fit 
for  nothing  but  the  fire. 


THE  MOLE.  87 


XLV. 


;  0  T  T  H  0  L  D  one  day  looked  on  while  a  gardener 
watched  a  mole,  caught  it  at  its  mischievous 
work,  threw  it  with  his  spade  out  of  the 
earth,  and  made  it  pay  with  its  life  for  the 
damage  it  had  done.  This  creature's  whole 
employment,  thought  he  then  with  himself,  is  to  plough 
up  the  well-dressed  gardens  and  fields,  gnaw  and  de- 
stroy the  roots  of  plants,  and  by  the  many  heaps  it 
forms,  to  disfigure  and  injure  the  parterres  and  mead- 
ows ;  all  which  it  does  for  the  sake  of  its  food.  Able  to 
see  and  cater  for  itself  in  the  dark,  and  even  beneath 
the  earth,  it  is  blind  when  unexpectedly  brought  into 
the  light.  And  so  it  is  with  the  man  of  the  world.  He 
burrows  and  filches  in  secret;  seeks  his  own  advan- 
tage at  the  expense  of  others,  who  wither  and  perish 
through  his  devices,  and  raises  on  every  hand  the  mon- 
uments of  his  enmity  and  selfishness.  Besides,  wise 
and  crafty  though  he  be  in  temporal  things,  he  knows 
absolutely  nothing  of  those  that  are  spiritual  and  di- 
vine. But  death  stands  by,  and  only  waits  the  nod  of 
the  Most  High,  to  terminate,  in  a  moment,  his  projects 
and  intrigues,  casts  the  miserable  man  out  of  earth, 
into  earth  ;  I  mean,  from  all  his  temporal  possessions, 


88  THE  LISTENER. 

into  the  grave.  To  that  dark  abode  he  shall  carry 
nothing  away,  nor  shall  his  glory  descend  after  him ; 
but  having  loved  darkness  rather  than  the  light  in  this 
present  life,  he  shall  never  see  the  light  of  the  life  to 
come.1 

Thou  faithful  God,  what  would  it  profit  me  to  live  in 
this  world,  were  I  to  shut  my  eyes  to  the  light  of 
heaven !  It  were  better  to  be  a  mole,  and  after  death 
have  neither  good  nor  evil  to  expect,  than  an  ungodly 
man  appointed  to  the  place  of  everlasting  darkness, 
where  there  is  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 


XLYI. 


PERSON  complained  that,  while  he  was  con- 
versing confidentially  with  a  friend,  a  third 
party,  of  whom  they  had  no  suspicion,  had 
been  lurking  and  listening  in  a  corner,  and  by 
reporting  the  conversation,  had  created  great 
dispeace.  Gotthold  remarked  :  Eaves-droppers  and  lis- 
teners, it  is  true,  are  dangerous  characters,  and  the 
great  mischief  they  do  may  be  seen  in  the  instance  of 

1  Tsalm  xlix.  18, 19. 


THE  LISTENER.  89 

Doeg,  the  blood-thirsty  flatterer  of  King  Saul,1  whose 
treachery  caused  the  death  of  fourscore  and  five  priests, 
with  their  wives  and  children.  But  tell  me  how  came 
you  to  be  so  imprudent  in  your  talk.  Do  you  not 
know  that  it  would  often  be  better  to  lose  a  pearl  from 
a  necklace  than  a  word  from  the  tongue  ?  So  long  as 
you  keep  an  important  word  to  yourself,  it  is  your  own. 
Utter  it,  and  from  that  moment  it  belongs  to  all  by 
whom  it  has  been  heard ;  and  you  need  not  wonder 
that  they  treat  it  as  their  property,  adding  to  or  taking 
from  it,  extending  or  extenuating  it,  according  to  their 
pleasure.  The  only  way  to  prevent  this  is  to  be  silent, 
and  to  keep  in  your  words. 

One  thing  more.  You  say  that  you  were  conversing 
confidentially  with  a  friend,  and  did  not  observe  the 
listener.  But  remember  the  advice  of  the  wise  mon- 
arch :  Curse  not  the  king,  no,  not  in  thy  thought ;  and 
curse  not  (speak  not  evil  of)  the  rich  in  thy  bed-cham- 
ber, for  a  bird  of  the  air  shall  carry  the  voice,  and  that 
which  hath  wings  shall  tell  the  matter.2  In  future, 
therefore,  be  not  so  rash  with  thy  mouth.  Forget  not 
that  there  is  a  listener  always  on  the  watch,  who  hears, 
sees,  and  knows  all  that  we  say,  do,  or  think,  whether 
in  secret  by  ourselves,  or  confidentially  with  others.  I 
speak  of  conscience,  which  never  sleeps,  and  holds  a 
divine  commission  to  report  upon  our  whole  conduct. 
Tell  me,  would  you  freely  and  unreservedly  utter  all 

1 1  Samuel  xxi.  7,  xxii.  9.  2  Eccles.  x.  20. 


90    THE  EYE  THAT  DOES  NOT  SEE  ITSELF. 

that  enters  your  mind,  were  you  aware  that  one  of  the 
company  was  treasuring,  and  would  afterwards  commit 
it  to  writing?  Scarcely.  Why,  then,  are  you  not 
afraid  of  your  conscience,  which  records  everything 
you  do,  and  will  one  day  upbraid  you  with  more,  per- 
haps, than  you  will  like  to  hear  ? 

My  God,  put  a  lock  upon  my  mouth,  and  affix  a  seal 
to  my  lips,  that  I  may  never  transgress  by  foolish  talk- 
ing. 


XLVII. 

ifnit  im*s  not  S*t  |istlf. 


H  E  eye,  proceeded  Gotthold,  the  noblest  mem- 
ber of  the  human  body,  does  not  see  itself; 
and  piety  and  godliness  resemble  it,  in  being 
destitute  of  self-consciousness.  Believers  do 
not  believe  that  they  believe.  The  humble 
are  ignorant  of  their  own  humility.  The  best  and  most 
devout  suppliants  have  their  minds  so  full  of  God,  that 
they  are  not  aware,  and  never  think  of  the  fervor  of 
their  prayers.  The  kindest  benefactors  have  no  recol- 
lection of  the  good  they  do,  and  are  surprised  when 
men  thank  them  for  it.  The  pious  fancy  that  they 
have  no  piety,  and  consequently  are  always  fighting, 


THE    YOUNG    LAMB.  91 

striving,   and   exercising    themselves   to   attain   it,   in 
which,  indeed,  growth  in  godliness  consists. 

My  God !  never  have  I  greater  reason  for  suspicion 
than  when  I  am  particularly  pleased  with  myself,  my 
faith,  my  prayers,  and  my  alms. 


XLVIII. 


NE  evening  Gotthold  met  a  shepherd  walking 
behind  his  flock,  and  carrying  in  his  arms  a 
lamb,  that  had  just  been  dropped  in  the 
field.  The  sight  at  once  reminded  him  of 
the  good  Shepherd,  Jesus  Christ,  and  he 
thought  of  Isaiah's  prediction  concerning  him  :  l  He 
shall  feed  His  flock  like  a  shepherd.  He  shall  gather 
the  lambs  with  His  arm,  and  carry  them  in  His  bosom, 
and  shall  gently  lead  those  that  are  with  young.  He 
then  exclaimed:  Far  be  it  from  me  to  imagine  for  a 
moment  that  this  shepherd  is  more  attentive  and  affec- 
tionate to  his  flock,  than  the  Lord  Jesus  to  the  church, 
which  He  has  purchased  with  His  own  blood.  No, 
Thou  faithful  Shepherd!  Didst  Thou  not  carry  the 

l  Isaiah  xl.  11. 


92  THE  BEST    CHAMBER. 

weak  and  tender  lambs,  and  watch  continually  over 
them ;  didst  Thou  not  seek  that  which  is  lost,  bring 
again  that  which  is  driven  away,  and  bind  up  that 
which  is  broken,  Thou  wouldst  soon  have  no  flock  at  all. 
My  Saviour !  we  are  sheep  and  lambs,  shy  and  timid, 
silly,  weak,  and  helpless  creatures,  but  Thou  art  a  faith- 
ful Shepherd,  and  seest,  knowest,  and  art  able  to  do  all 
things  for  iis.  Indeed,  wert  Thou  to  withhold  Thy 
care,  who  could  save  us  from  destruction  ?  Lift  up, 
then,  my  weary  soul,  0  Shepherd,  and  carry  it  in  Thy 
arms.  Let  Thine  eye  be  over  me,  that  I  fall  not  behind 
in  the  way,  and  for  this  I  will  thank  and  praise  Thee 
through  eternity. 


XLIX. 

|Ust  Chamber. 

URINGr  an  examination  of  a  newly-built  house, 
Gotthold  inquired  of  some  friends  who  accom- 
panied  him,  which  of  all  the  apartments  they 
considered  the  best.      One  answered  that  he 

K-5> 

*  preferred  the  parlor,  as  being  lofty  in  the  ceil- 
ing, well  lighted,  and  capable  of  being  easily  warmed. 
The  others  severally  fixed  upon  the  kitchen,  the  cellar, 


THE  BEST    CHAMBER.  93 

the  business  office,  and  the  bed-rooms.  Gotthold  re- 
plied: No  doubt  these  chambers  will  be  the  favorites 
of  many.  But  what  I  meant  to  ask  was,  which  of 
them  a  pious  and  godly  Christian  will  prefer ;  and 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  that  is  the  chamber  set 
apart  as  the  place  of  prayer,  and  of  which  our  Saviour 
says :  When  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet,  and 
when  thou  hast  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father  which 
is  in  secret,  and  thy  Father  who  seeth  in  secret,  shall 
reward  thee  openly.1  That  chamber  is  the  sanctuary 
of  the  house.  From  it,  as  from  a  fountain,  the  stream 
of  blessing  flows,  and  is  conducted  into  every  corner. 
Over  it  the  heavens  are  open.  There  stands  the  celes- 
tial ladder,  upon  which  the  angels  of  God  ascend  and 
descend.  There  man  speaks  with  the  Most  High,  as 
with  a  friend,  pours  out  his  heart  before  Him,  confides 
to  Him  all  his  concerns,  and  obtains  from  Him  com- 
fort in  tribulation,  and  joy  in  the  midst  of  sorrow. 
There  stands  the  ark,  for  whose  sake  the  whole  family, 
like  that  of  Obededom,  is  blessed.2  Happy  he  whose 
house  has  such  a  closet,  well  furnished,  and  well  em- 
ployed !  The  meanest  hut,  whose  inmates  abound  in 
prayer,  is  preferable  to  the  costliest  palaces  of  those 
who  despise  God. 

My  God,  my  place  of  prayer  shall  be  wherever  I  can 
lift  up  a  devout  heart  in  faith  to  Thee.  I,  too,  have  a 
chamber  appropriated  to  this  holy  duty.  But  I  know 

1  Matt.  vi.  6.  2  2  Samuel  vi.  11. 


94  THE   SOARING   LARK. 

that  Thy  goodness  is  confined  to  no  particular  spot, 
and,  therefore,  I  can  build  myself  an  oratory  anywhere. 


L. 


)HE  lark  is  distinguished  from  all  other  birds  by 
the  habit  that,  when  about  to  sing,  it  does  not 
sea^  ^self  upon  the  branch  of  a  tree,  or  in  a 
thorny  bush,  but  soars,  in  successive  pitches, 
ever  higher  and  higher  into  the  air,  as  if  the 
longer  it  sang,  the  more  desirous  it  grew  to  reach  the 
heavens,  and  meant  in  this  way  to  show  in  whose  honor 
it  pours  forth  its  notes.  Gotthold,  one  day,  as  he  looked 
and  listened  with  delight  to  the  little  warbler,  thought 
with  himself:  Well  did  my  Saviour  say:  Behold  the 
fowls  of  the  air.1  How  beautifully  this  lark  indicates 
to  me  the  true  method  of  prayer  and  praise  to  God  ! 
Observation  shows  that  it  has  its  almost  stated  morning 
and  evening  hours  for  mounting  from  the  earth,  and 
chanting  its  little  hymn  to  the  praise  of  the  Creator  ;  and 
ought  I,  who  receive  from  that  Creator  blessings  a  thou- 
sand-fold greater  than  any  bird,  to  be  less  diligent  in 
this  holy  duty  ?  God  forbid  !  I  will  bless  the  Lord  at 

1  Matt.  vi.  26. 


TEE  HEN.  95 

all  times.  His  praise  shall  continually  be  in  my  mouth ; l 
and  although  I  do  occasionally  feel  that  the  glow  of  de- 
votion languishes  in  my  bosom,  yet  I  see  in  this  lark, 
and  know  from  experience,  that  there  is  no  better 
means  of  fanning  it  into  a  flame,  than  the  desire  and 
effort  to  pray.  The  higher  our  spirit  soars  above  the 
earth,  the  nearer  it  approaches  heaven,  and  it  cannot 
be  but  that  that  which  approaches  heaven  shall  be  filled 
with  heavenly  wisdom,  and  that  that  shall  imbibe  light 
which  aspires  to  the  light  eternal.  Lord,  when  I  cry 
unto  Thee,  then  know  I  that  God  is  for  me.2 


LI. 
I  Ml. 

T  is  well  known  to  be  the  habit  of  the  hen,  that 
when  it  has  laid  an  egg,  it  announces  the  fact  to 
'•£*{  its  owner  by  loud  cackling.  On  hearing  this 
noise  one  day,  Gotthold  thought  with  himself  : 
This  hen  acts  as  proud  saints  and  hypocrites  do. 
Such  characters  make  a  trade  of  godliness,  and  have 
no  sooner,  with  only  half  their  heart,  performed  a  good 
work,  than  they  are  eager  to  have  it  everywhere  trum- 
peted, and  made  known  to  their  honor.  True  Chris- 
tians are  of  quite  another  mind. 

l  Psalm  xxxiv.  2.  2  Psalm  Ivi.  10.    Luth.  vers. 


96  THE  EARTHEN    CLOD. 


LII. 


CURING  an  excursion  into  the  country,  Gott- 
hold,  observing  the  clods  upon  the  rich  ploughed 
fields,  said  to  his  companions  :  I  recollect  hav- 
ing read  of  an  old  nobleman,  who,  every  morn- 
ing when  he  rose,  had  a  fresh  lump  of  earth 
brought  to  him,  and  for  a  while  inhaled  the  scent  of  it, 
considering  this  an  efficacious  means  of  preserving  his 
health  and  lengthening  his  days.  I  wish  that  not  only 
all  noblemen,  but  all  emperors,  kings,  princes,  and 
lords,  and,  indeed,  all  Christians,  observed  the  same 
custom.  Whatever  it  might  do  to  their  bodies,  it 
would  infallibly  promote  the  health  of  their  souls,  by 
reminding  them  of  their  mortality  and  nothingness. 
Let  man  parade,  and  boast  himgelf  as  he  will,  he  is 
nothing  but  a  clod  of  earth,  which  the  hand  of  God 
will  very  soon  bruise  and  crumble  into  dust  and  ashes. 
There  have  been  many  famous  monarchs  in  the  world, 
great  in  name,  power,  and  achievements.  But  what  are 
they  now?  Search  the  tombs  of  the  mightiest  em- 
perors, —  of  Alexander,  Charlemagne,  and  Otho,  —  and 
think  you  that  you  will  find  in  them  anything  but  a 
handful  of  earth  ?  It  is  the  same  with  ourselves.  All 
the  great  pains  we  have  taken  —  our  cares,  toils,  honors. 


SUBSIDED   MUD.  97 

and  erudition  —  terminate  at  last  in  an  earthen  clod. 
For  this  reason,  the  wise  man,  when  he  beholds  us 
vaporing  with  all  the  pomp  of  the  frog  in  the  moon- 
beam, cannot  refrain  from  mocking  us,  and  asks :  Why 
is  earth  and  ashes  proud  ?  Man  is  filthy  while  he  liv- 
eth,  and  when  he  is  dead,  creeping  beasts  and  worms 
devour  him.  Oh  that  we  always  remembered  this ! 


LIII. 


)  N  a  vessel  filled  with  muddy  water,  the  thickness 
visibly  siibsided  to  the  bottom,  and  left  the  water 
purer  and  purer,  until  at  last  it  seemed  per- 
fectly limpid.  The  slightest  motion,  however, 
brought  the  sediment  'again  to  the  top,  and  the 
water  became  thick  and  turbid  as  before.  Here,  said 
Gotthold,  when  he  saw  it,  we  have  an  emblem  of  the 
human  heart.  The  heart  is  full  of  the  mud  of  sinful 
lusts  and  carnal  desires,  and  the  consequence  is,  that 
no  pure  water  —  that  is,  good  and  holy  thoughts  —  can 
flow  from  it.  It  is,  in  truth,  a  miry  pit  and  slough  of 
sin,  in  which  all  sorts  of  ugly  reptiles  are  bred  and 
crawl.  Many  a  one,  however,  is  deceived  by  it,  and 


98  SUBSIDED   MUD. 

never  imagines  his  heart  half  so  wicked  as  it  really 
is,  because  sometimes  its  lusts  are  at  rest,  and  sink,  as 
it  were,  to  the  bottom.  On  such  occasions,  his  thoughts 
are  apparently  devout  and  holy,  his  desires  pure  and 
temperate,  his  words  charitable  and  edifying,  and  his 
works  useful  and  Christian.  But  this  lasts  only  so 
long  as  he  is  not  moved ;  I  mean  so  long  as  he  is 
without  opportunity  or  incitement  to  sin.  Let  that 
occur,  and  worldly  lusts  rise  so  thick,  that  his  whole 
thoughts,  words,  and  works,  show  no  trace  of  anything 
but  slime  and  impurity.  One  is  meek  as  long  as  he 
is  not  thwarted ;  cross  him,  and  he  is  like  powder, 
ignited  by  the  smallest  spark,  and  blazing  up  with  a 
loud  report  and  destructive  effect.  Another  is  tem- 
perate so  long  as  he  has  no  jovial  companions ;  a  third 
chaste  while  the  eyes  of  men  are  upon  him. 

Alas,  my  God !  How  often  have  I  fancied  that  the 
world  and  all  its  lusts  were  a  thousand  miles  away, 
and  yet  afterwards  discovered  that,  like  a  crafty  foe, 
she  had  kept  quiet  only  to  attack  and  beguile  me  un- 
awares. Often,  in  my  communings  with  Thee,  I  have 
vowed  that  I  would  be  courteous  and  friendly  to  the 
man  by  whom  I  had  been  injured,  and  would  show  it 
by  my  deportment.  Nay,  if  required  at  the  time,  I 
would  have  confirmed  my  vow  with  any  number  of 
oaths ;  and  yet  I  have  afterwards  found  that  the  very 
sight  of  him  so  violently  stirred  and  agitated  my  heart, 
that  nothing  was  visible  in  it  but  the  mire  of  enmity. 


THE   CHILD'S   GIFT.  99 

0,  my  God  !    Purge  me  and  I  shall  be  clean,  wash. 
me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow.     Create  in  me  / 
a  clean  heart.1 


LIT. 

lir's 


YOUNG  girl,  with  whose  mother  Gotthold  was 
conversing  in  a  garden,  approached  him  at  first 
with  a  few  leaves,  and  at  last  with  a  flower 
which  she  had  plucked  beside  the  walk,  and, 
with  child-like  grace,  offered  it  to  him  as  a  pres- 
ent. Well,  said  he,  my  little  maid,  why  should  I  not  be 
satisfied  with  thy  small  gifts,  bestowed  as  they  are  with 
a  simple  and  child-like  desire  of  giving,  even  as  God 
must  needs  be,  with  similar  gifts  of  mine.  Fondly 
would  I  often  bring  to  Him  great  faith,  glowing  char- 
ity, deep  devotion,  spiritual  praise,  sincere  prayer,  and 
perfect  child-like  obedience.  But,  though  I  search  the 
whole  garden  of  my  heart,  I  can  find  no  such  flowers 
as  these,  or  any  worthy  of  being  presented  to  Him,  and 
He  must  be  content  to  receive  instead,  weaknesses, 
good  wishes  and  intentions,  endeavors,  and  commence- 
ments. And  so  He  is.  He  has  shown  us  His  fatherly 
and  affectionate  heart,  by  preferring  the  two  mites  cast 

1  Tsalm  li.  10. 


100  THE   STORK. 

by  the  poor  widow  into  the  treasury,  above  all  the 
costly  gifts  of  the  rich,1  and  by  declaring  that  even  a 
cup  of  cold  water,  given  to  a  disciple  in  the  name  of  a 
disciple,  shall  in  nowise  lose  its  reward.2 

0,  my  Father !  my  soul  rejoices  and  exults  that  Thou 
art  its  God  —  that  it  can  hope  to  attain  all  things  from 
Thee  —  and  that  Thou  art  gracious  enough  to  accept 
the  poor  gifts  which,  with  a  child's  feeble  hand,  it  ven- 
tures to  present.  I  will,  however,  labor  at  all  times  to 
improve  my  gift.  The  best  products  of  my  powers  and 
faculties  I  will  bring  and  make  oblation  of  them,  by 
the  hand  of  Jesus,  my  Mediator :  that  will  secure  for 
them,  however  poor,  acceptance  from  Thee. 


LY. 


OME  pious  friends,  who  were  walking  in  the 
country,  observed  a  stork  seeking  its  food  upon 
a  beautiful  meadow.  One  of  them  immediately 
observed:  Let  us  here  call  to  mind  the  com- 
plaint which  the  God  of  mercy  makes  by  the 
mouth  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah.3  The  stork  in  the 
heaven  knoweth  her  appointed  times,  and  the  turtle, 

1  Luke  xxi.  2,  3.  2  Matt.  x.  42.  3  Jer.  viii.  7. 


THE   STORK.  101 

and  the  crane,  and  the  swallow  observe  the  time  of 
their  coming,  but  My  people  know  not  the  judgment 
of  the  Lord.  Alas !  how  many  there  are  who  neglect 
the  day  of  grace ;  and  although  the  long-suffering  God 
opens  wide  to  them  the  gate  of  heaven,  and  stretches 
forth  His  hand,  and  says,  Here  I  am,1  pay  no  attention, 
but  rather  seek  an  open  door  to  hell  — I  mean  the 
opportunity  of  following  after  their  sins.  0  God !  keep 
us  from  security  and  hardness  of  heart ;  and  make  our 
life  a  continual  act  of  repentance,  and  return  to  Thee ! 
Gotthold  subjoined :  I  lately  read  a  very  remarkable 
circumstance  respecting  these  birds,  namely,  that  so 
strong  is  their  affection  for  their  young,  that  they  are 
not  afraid  even  to  die  for  them.  There  have  been 
instances  of  conflagrations,  in  which  they  flew  to  and 
fro,  with  water  in  their  beaks,  to  save  their  nests  upon 
the  burning  houses.  Nay,  it  once  happened  at  Delft, 
in  Holland,  that,  finding  it  impossible  to  preserve  their 
brood,  they  placed  themselves  upon  the  nest,  spread 
over  them  their  wings,  and  so  perished  with  them  in 
the  flames.  That  is  what  is  called  dying  for  love ! 
And  of  whom  should  such  a  circumstance  remind  us, 
if  not  of  Him  who  would  fondly  gather  all  the  poor 
children  of  men  under  His  wings,  who  upon  the  cross 
died,  not  indeed  with  us,  but  for  us,  and  died  of  love. 
Yes,  verily,  no  death  could  have  killed  Him.  But  love 
to  us  brought  Him  from  heaven,  and  stretched  and 

4  Isaiah  Iviii.  9. 


102  THE    TRANSPLANTED   LIME. 

slew  Him  upon  the  cross.  The  favorite  season  for 
gathering  and  drying  plants  is  when  they  are  in  full- 
est vigor  and  fairest  blossom ;  and  it  seems  to  me  as 
if  the  heavenly  Father  had  destined  for  the  death  of 
His  well-beloved  Son  the  time  at  which  the  love  of 
the  Son  had  attained  its  utmost  fervor.  And  as  Jesus 
then  died  in  love,  so  in  love  did  He  also  rise  again  from 
the  dead,  and  ascend  into  heaven,  and  now  and  through 
all  eternity,  can  do  nothing  but  dearly  love  the  chil- 
dren of  men.  Oh  that  we  had  no  eyes  and  no  heart 
but  for  such  a  love  as  this  !  Oh  that  it  kindled  in  our 
bosoms  an  ever-fresh  and  ever-fervent  love  in  return ! 


LVI. 


Y  the  passage  of  a  hostile  army  through  the 
country,  an  afflicted  man  complained  that  he 
had  lost  his  all,  —  his  house  having  been  plun- 
dered  and  burnt  to  ashes,  and  he  himself 
driven  from  it  with  nothing  but  the  staff  in  his 
hand.  Gotthold,  heartily  sympathizing  with  him,  spoke, 
for  his  comfort,  as  follows  :  Be  of  good  cheer  ;  we  have 
a  God  who  can  make  us  happy  even  in  adversity.  He 


THE    TRANSPLANTED    LIME.  103 

then  pointed  to  a  young  lime,  which  had  shortly  before 
been  removed  from  the  open  field,  and  planted  for  orna- 
ment and  shade  in  front  of  his  house,  and  said :  Mark 
that  tree.  By  my  command  it  was  lately  planted  there. 
Its  boughs  have  all  been  lopped,  the  stock  polled,  and 
now  it  stands  disfigured  and  without  a  leaf.  But  no 
other  treatment  would  have  done  it  good.  Had  the 
branches  been  spared,  the  roots,  so  recently  disturbed, 
and,  as  yet,  imperfectly  established  in  the  foreign  soil, 
could  not  have  supplied  them  with  sap,  and,  as  an  inev- 
itable consequence,  both  they  and  the  stock  must  have 
died.  There,  however,  the  stock  now  stands,  naked  in- 
deed, but  still  alive,  and  distributing  whatever  sap  it 
receives  from  below  into  a  few  little  buds,  which  by 
degrees  will  burst,  and  grow,  and  flourish.  In  the 
same  way  does  a  faithful  God  often  deal  with  those 
Christians  whom  He  intends  to  transplant  from  the  soil 
of  the  world  into  the  kingdom  of  His  Son.  He  suffers 
them  to  be  reduced  to  poverty  and  want,  causes  the 
boughs  of  their  temporal  prosperity  to  be  hewn  off  by 
robbery,  injustice,  war,  or  conflagrations,  in  order  that 
they  may  serve  Him  with  a  readier  will ;  and '  with 
lighter  burdens  and  fewer  impediments,  proceed  along 
the  narrow  way  that  leadeth  unto  life.  If  you  have 
lost  your  all,  count  yourself  happy  that  in  this  respect 
you  have  attained  to  conformity  with  your  Saviour, 
who  had  not  so  much  as  where  to  lay  His  head.1  At 

1  Matt.  viii.  20. 


104  THE  PLANT   IN  THE  CELLAR. 

His  birth,  His  bed  was  a  manger,  but  it  was  not  His 
own.  He  taught  the  people  from  a  ship,  but  that  was 
Simon  Peter's.  Into  the  city  of  Jerusalem  He  rode 
upon  an  ass,  but  it  was  borrowed  for  the  purpose.  The 
little  clothing  which  He  possessed,  the  soldiers  divided 
among  them,  and  cast  lots  for  His  seamless  coat.  The 
only  thing  He  could  call  His  own,  was  the  cross  on 
which  He  shed  His  precious  blood.  Be  thankful,  there- 
fore, that  although  you  have  lost  all  else,  you  have  still 
a  cross  which  you  can  take  up  and  bear  in  the  footsteps 
of  your  Master  Jesus. 


LVII. 

flani  in  %  dollar* 


AY  ING  occasion  to  go  into  the  cellar,  Gotthold 
rjj  found  a  turnip,  which  had  been  left  by  accident, 
^2g^  and  had  vegetated  and  sent  forth  long  and 

j^£>     slender  shoots.     These,  however,  were  unnat- 
t/V 

urally  of  a  pale  yellow  color,  and    therefore 

unfit  for  use.  Here,  thought  he,  I  have  the  type  of  a 
human  undertaking  from  which  God  withholds  His 
blessing,  and  which  must,  therefore,  necessarily  mis- 
carry. This  plant  wants  sunshine  and  open  air,  with- 


THE   ROSE.  105 

out  which  it  cannot  thrive,  and  so  it  grows  in  weakness 
for  a  little,  and  then  withers  and  dies.  It  is  the  same 
with  all  our  acts  and  enterprises,  which  are  not  irradi- 
ated by  the  grace  of  God,  nor  fostered  by  His  blessing. 
According  to  the  words  of  the  Saviour,  Every  plant 
which  my  Father  hath  not  planted,  shall  be  rooted  up.1 


LVIII. 


ERCEIVING,  in  the  month  of  May,  the  pomp 
and  beauty  of  the  roses,  a  person  remarked  :  This 
is  the  flower  which  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself  has 
selected  as  the  emblem  of  the  believing  soul,  be- 
cause, as  the  rose  is  environed  with  thorns,  so 
likewise  is  such  a  soul  with  tribulation.  Gotthold  re- 
plied :  You  say  well,  and  no  doubt  you  have  also  some- 
times experienced  the  thorns  which  wound  and  vex  the 
Christian's  heart.  We  are  told  that  the  fragrance  of 
the  rose  is  greatly  increased  by  planting  a  bunch  of 
foetid  garlic  beside  it.  If  this  be  true,  it  serves  to  illus- 
trate the  benefit  which  may  accrue  to  an  upright  and 
godly  man  from  a  wicked  and  shameless  slanderer.  In 
fact,  the  fame  of  many  would  be  circumscribed  by  nar- 

1  Matt.  xv.  13. 


106  THE   ROSE. 

row  limits,  if  their  slanderers  did  not  help,  even  against 
their  will,  to  sound  it  far  and  wide.  The  reason  is, 
that  the  more  a  man  is  calumniated  and  traduced,  the 
more  do  the  honorable-minded,  who  prefer  their  own 
good  name  above  all  the  treasures  of  the  world,  and 
are,  consequently,  reluctant  to  believe  discreditable 
things  of  others,  feel  bound  to  take  into  account  the 
person,  look,  gestures,  and  dispositions  of  him  who  ut- 
ters the  calumny,  and  so  are  led  to  feel  a  deeper  inter- 
est than  they  otherwise  would  in  the  party  against 
whom  it  is  levelled.  The  ultimate  consequence  is,  that 
the  rose  remains,  after  all,  a  fragrant  and  beautiful 
flower,  and  the  garlic  an  offensive  weed ;  I  mean  that 
the  virtuous  man  continues  to  be  honored  and  beloved, 
while  the  slanderer  is  disgraced  and  hated.  Besides, 
the  slanderer  exercises  the  good  man's  patience,  shows 
him  the  maliciousness  of  the  devil,  weans  him  from  the 
world,  exercises  him  in  humility,  acquaints  him  with 
his  sins,  and  incites  him  to  fly  from  the  vices  with 
which  he  is  charged,  and  to  cultivate  the  opposite  vir- 
tues. In  short,  every  calumny  thrown  at  him  is  a  pearl 
that  will  one  day  beautify  his  celestial  crown.  This  is 
what  King  David  affirms  when  he  says :  Lord,  in  hum- 
bling me  (by  shame  and  persecution),  Thou  hast  made 
me  great.1 

My  God,  Thou  makest  all  things  work  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  Thee.2    That  I  do  love  Thee,  is 

l  Psalm  xviii.  35.    Luth.  vers.  2  Rom.  viii.  28. 


THE    CAGED    BIRD.  107 

no  doubt  more  than  I  can  say  of  myself.  But  that  I 
earnestly  wish  to  love  Thee,  I  can  with  truth  declare. 
Yea,  could  I  collect  in  my  heart  the  love  of  all  angels 
and  all  men,  I  would  pour  forth  the  whole  flood  to 
Thee,  and  Thee  alone.  Oh,  then,  let  the  reproaches  of 
mine  enemies  become  to  me  a  praise,  and  their  curse 
a  blessing ! 


LIX. 

5trtr, 


OTTHOLD  had  kept  a  singing  bird  for  some 
time  in  a  cage,  so  that  at  last  it  became  habitu- 
ated  to  its  prison,  and  not  only  warbled  its 
cheerful  and  pleasant  notes,  but  even,  when  the 
door  was  opened,  showed  no  desire  to  escape. 
Observing  this,  he  could  not  help  saying  to  himself: 
Ah  me  !  would  that  I  could  learn  from  this  bird  con- 
tentment with  my  condition,  and  submission  to  the  Di- 
vine will  !  Would  that  I  were  habituated  to  the  ways 
and  dealings  of  my  God,  and  believed  in  my  heart  that 
His  designs  towards  me  cannot  but  be  good  !  This  lit- 
tle bird  is,  indeed,  imprisoned,  but  it  receives  abun- 
dance of  food,  and  therefore  is  content,  —  hops  about 
upon  the  perch,  sings  its  song,  and  has  no  desire  to 


108  THE   CAGED    BIRD. 

change  its  condition.  Even  so  God  often  environs  me 
with  divers  crosses  and  straits,  but  never  yet  has  left 
me  destitute  of  comfort  or  succor.  Why,  then,  am  I 
not  happy  ?  Why  do  I  not  sing,  and  thank  Him  with  a 
joyful  heart,  even  in  the  midst  of  tribulation  ?  One 
feels  constrained  to  do,  as  Luther  expresses  it,  lift  the 
hat,  and  say  to  such  a  bird,  "  Dear  doctor,  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  greatly  lack  your  skill.  You  sleep  by  night 
in  your  little  nest,  undisturbed  by  care.  In  the  morn- 
ing you  rise,  cheerful  and  merry,  take  your  seat  upon 
your  perch,  warble  your  song  of  praise  and  gratitude  to 
God,  and  then  seek  and  find  your  food." 

Well  then,  my  God,  I  too  will  be  content  and  happy, 
and  wish  for  nothing  but  what  Thou  wilt.  From  my 
cross,  my  burden,  my  adversity,  I  will  not  ask  to  be 
relieved  until  it  please  Thee  to  relieve  me.  Nay,  I 
have  no  desire  even  to  be  in  heaven,  so  long  as  it  is 
Thy  pleasure  that  I  should  serve  Thee  and  Thy  church 
in  this  life  of  misery  and  toil.  To  me  let  Thy  will  be 
heaven  ;  Thy  counsel,  wisdom  ;  Thy  good  pleasure,  sat- 
isfaction !  The  only  wish  I  have  is,  that  it  may  be  well 
with  me  in  time  and  eternity.  But,  as  this  my  wish  is 
also  Thy  will,  our  end  and  aim  are  one  and  the  same, 
and  it  is  only  about  the  ways  and  means  of  attaining  it 
that  we  sometimes  disagree.  No  harm,  however,  is 
done,  although  the  way  Thou  leadest  me  is  different 
from  that  which  my  folly  reckons  good  ;  provided  Thou 
leadest  me  well,  and  I  secure  the  object  of  my  desire. 


THE    TREES    IN   BLOSSO^f.  109 

LX. 

in 


ATE  in  spring,  when  the  weather  was  beautiful, 
and  the  fruit  trees  showed  one  mass  of  blossom, 
Gotthold,  walking  in  his  garden,  and  feasting  his 
eyes  with  their  splendor,  made  the  following  ob- 
servations to  a  friend:  These  trees  bear  much 
more  blossom  than  they  can  possibly  ripen  into  fruit. 
This  shows  in  them  an  inward  and  natural  disposition 
to  pay  liberally  for  the  ground  they  occupy,  but  after- 
wards they  are  more  or  less  hindered  by  outward  cir- 
cumstances, from  carrying  it  into  effect.  It  is  the  same 
with  good  men.  Ah,  me  !  how  large,  how  keen,  how 
many  thousand-fold  are  often  their  good  resolutions  and 
inward  desires  to  love  and  serve  the  Lord!  0  God,  we 
hear  them  cry,  had  I  the  love  of  all  angels  and  men,  it 
should  burn  for  Thee  alone  !  Had  I  ten  thousand  hearts, 
to  Thee  should  they  be  consecrated  and  resigned  !  Had 
I  the  tongues  of  all  mankind,  their  only  employment 
should  be  to  praise  and  extol  Thee,  0  God  of  glory  ! 
With  what  alacrity  and  joy  I  will  henceforth  serve 
Thee  !  Ah,  me  !  why  did  I  not  know  Thee  sooner,  0 
Thou  piire  and  eternal  love  !  Depart  from  me,  ye  evil 
doers,  for  I  will  keep  the  commandments  of  my  God.1 
At  such  a  time,  the  tree  is  in  full  blossom  ;  and  the  in- 

1  Tsalm  cxix.  115. 


110       THE  BLOSSOMS  AND  THE  BEES. 

ward  impulse  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  constraining 
power  of  the  love  of  Christ,  are  powerfully  felt.  Scarce 
a  tithe  of  the  blossom,  however,  ripens  into  fruit.  But 
as  man,  notwithstanding,  takes  pleasure  in  beholding  it 
upon  the  tree,  so  does  God  delight  in  a  heart  overflow- 
ing with  fervor,  and  holy  resolutions,  and  in  the  fruits 
and  works  of  righteousness,  though  these  may  at  first 
be  few. 

0  Lord,  my  God  and  Father!  have  patience  likewise 
with  me,  and  be  satisfied  with  the  blossom  and  poor 
firstlings  of  my  Christianity.  Do  Thou  also  purge  me, 
and  vouchsafe  to  me  Thy  blessing,  that  I  may  become 
more  and  more  fruitful  and  productive. 


LXI. 

Cms  in  |5I0ss0m,  antr  ilj* 


lURTHER  discoursing  upon  this  subject,  they 
observed  that  the  bees  were  haunting  the  trees 
in  crowds,  humming  among  the  branches,  and 
gathering  honey  in  the  flowers.  See,  said 
Gotthold,  here  is  an  image  of  temporal  pros- 
perity. So  long  as  there  is  blossom  on  the  trees,  and 
honey  in  the  blossom,  the  bees  will  frequent  them  in 
crowds,  and  fill  the  place  with  their  music  ;  but,  when 


THE    CATERPILLARS.  HI 

the  blossom  is  over,  and  the  honey  gone,  they  too  will 
disappear.  The  same  happens  in  the  world  among 
men.  In  the  abodes  of  fortune  and  pleasure,  friends 
will  be  found  in  plenty ;  but  when  fortune  flies  away, 
they  depart  along  with  it.  Temporal  gain  is  the  world's 
honey,  and  the  allurement  with  which  you  may  entice  it 
whithersoever  you  will ;  but  where  the  gain  terminates, 
there,  likewise,  do  the  love  and  friendship  of  the  world 
stop.  For  this  reason,  let  all  good  men  be  advised  to 
fly  to  Christ  crucified,  who  never  forsakes,  in  their  dis- 
tress, those  who  truly  seek  him. 


txii. 


OTTHOLD  had  feasted  his  eyes  upon  the  rich 
blossom  of  the  trees,  and  indulged  the  hope 
that,  in  autumn,  he  would  joyfully  gather 
the  fruit.  In  a  few  days,  however,  he  dis- 
covered that  a  noxious  mildew  had  bred  a 
multitude  of  caterpillars,  and  that  these  had  consumed 
both  blossoms  and  leaves,  and  left  the  branches  as 
naked  as  if  they  had  been  scorched  with  fire.  Such, 
thought  he,  is  the  fate  of  human  hopes  and  pleasures, 
which  vanish  like  vapor  before  we  are  aware.  Where- 
8 


112  THE    CATERPILLAR'S   NEST. 

ever  there  are  leaves,  blossom,  and  fruit,  be  sure  there 
will  also  be  caterpillars  to  waste  and  consume  them. 
When  we  fancy  our  prosperity  to  be  in  full  blossom, 
and  prepare  to  enjoy  it  to  our  heart's  content,  in  a 
moment  we  discover  that  it  has  vanished  like  a  shadow. 
All  that  is  good  here  beneath  the  sun  is  attended  by 
some  evil,  or  encounters  some  foe.  Pleasure,  riches, 
honor,  and  joy  are  sure  to  have  care,  disgrace,  adver- 
sity, and  affliction  in  their  train.  There  is  no  pleasure 
without  pain,  no  joy  without  sorrow.  Oh  the  folly  of 
expecting  lasting  felicity  in  a  vale  of  tears,  or  paradise 
in  a  ruined  world ! 


LXIII. 


^OCEEDING  through  his  orchard,  Gotthold 
continued  :  Let  us  not,  however,  forget  that  we 
have  all  a  caterpillar's  nest  in  our  own  bosoms  ; 
I  mean  a  carnal  and  depraved  heart,  in  which 
wicked  lusts,  the  spawn  of  original  sin,  are 
bred  and  swarm.  These,  if  indulged,  immediately 
creep  forth,  and  destroy  both  soul  and  body.  It  gives 
the  Christian  enough  to  do  to  keep  them  down,  and 
at  last  put  them  to  death.  To  this  effect,  Luther  him- 


THE   WALNUT  TREE.  113 

self  said,  that  he  was  more  afraid  of  his  own  heart 
than  of  the  Pope  and  all  his  cardinals ;  and  to  my- 
self a  good  man  once  observed :  My  own  heart  makes 
life  bitter  to  me,  and  death  sweet. 

Over  this  caterpillar's  nest,  help  me,  Lord,  to  watch 
diligently,  and  with  all  my  might  to  check  its  brood 
of  vices.  Oh,  when  wilt  Thou  save  me  from  myself, 
and  from  my  own  heart ! 


LXIV. 

Cm. 


OME  worthy  persons  had  seated  themselves  be- 
neath a  walnut  tree,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  pro- 
tection of  its  shade  from  the  heat  of  the  day. 
Gotthold  happening  to  pass,  accosted,  and  warned 
them  not  to  tarry  long  where  they  were,  as  the 
shade  of  the  walnut  tree  is  injurious  to  the  health,  and 
usually  causes  severe  headache.  On  their  replying  that 
they  were  not,  as  yet,  sensible  of  the  slightest  bad 
effects,  he  rejoined  :  But  you  certainly  will  experience 
them  afterwards,  though  not,  perhaps,  for  a  day.  In 
this  tree,  he  proceeded  to  say,  we  have  an  emblem  of 
bad  company.  A  good  man,  when  obliged  to  associate 
and  converse  with  persons  of  an  opposite  character, 
often  resolves  that  he  will  be  upon  his  guard,  keep  the 


114  THE    WALNUT    TREE. 

door  of  his  senses  barred,  and  allow  nothing  sinful  to 
enter  his  mind ;  and  in  this,  at  first,  he  thinks  that  he 
succeeds.  Afterwards,  however,  he  is  almost  always 
obliged  to  confess,  with  sorrow,  that  bad  company  has 
been  to  him  like  this  tree,  whose  shadow  for  awhile 
cools  and  refreshes  us,  but  in  the  sequel  is  the  cause  of 
much  trouble.  Satan  knows  what  advantage  afterwards 
to  take  of  all  that  has  occurred,  and  once  more  calls 
up  the  carnal  ideas  before  the  inward  eye,  to  disturb 
the  mind  in  its  holy  exercises,  and  sensibly  impair  the 
fervor  of  its  devotion.  Though  he  may  have  listened 
without  pleasure,  and  even  with  positive  disrelish  and 
abhorrence  to  the  jests,  extravagances,  and  follies  of 
the  licentious  company,  the  good  man  will  yet  have 
enough  to  do  to  resist  the  assaults  and  repel  the  darts 
of  Satan.  Truly,  therefore,  did  an  old  teacher  call  bad 
companions  the  wet  nurses  of  the  devil.  It  is  best  to 
keep  aloof  from  them.  The  little  sinful  pleasure  they 
can  give,  will  issue  at  last  in  pain  and  sorrow.  The 
saintly  Tauler  says,  in  one  of  his  discourses :  "  Turn 
we,  whithersoever  or  to  whomsoever  we  may,  in  this 
sphere  of  time,  we  shall  find  nothing  but  falsehood, 
treachery,  and  dispeace,  in  all  outward  objects  and  per- 
sons. Often  where  we  seek,  and  think  we  shall  surely 
find  solace  and  delight,  there  we  lose  all  inward  com- 
fort, and  are  wholly  robbed  of  that  peace  of  mind 
which  has  cost  us  many  a  day  in  our  retirement  to  lay 
up.  Nay,  we  even  cause  great  trouble  in  our  breast, 


THE   CLOUD   OF  TRIBULATION.  H5 

for  we  burden  ourselves  with  the  guilt  of  idle,  super- 
fluous, and  false  words,  with  waste  of  time,  and  various 
other  sins,  which  freeze  the  heart  and  extinguish  love, 
so  that  conscience  afterwards  sorely  gnaws  and  stings 
us."  These,  0  my  God,  were  the  words  of  Thy  ser- 
vant, more  than  three  hundred  years  ago.  What  would 
he  have  said  now,  when  ungodliness  has  swelled  to  so 
overwhelming  a  flood,  that  a  man  of  tender  conscience 
can  no  longer  pass  his  threshold,  or  look  out  of  his  win- 
dow, without  witnessing  some  scandal  ? 

0  Lord,  keep  watch  over  my  soul,  and  bring  it 
through  danger  and  Satan's  many  snares,  despite  his 
malice,  unto  everlasting  life.  Oh,  how  shall  I  then  ex- 
tol Thy  name  for  ever  and  ever ! 


LXV. 

of 


)Y  God  and  Father,  subjoined  Gotthold  in 
prayer,  I  call  to  mind  the  words  of  Thy 
prophet,1  Thou  hast  covered  Thyself  with 
a  cloud,  that  our  prayers  should  not  pass 
through.  Alas  !  so  it  is  too  often  with  me 
and  Thee.  A  dark  cloud  of  trouble  encamps  between 
us.  Nor  can  I  complain  of  this,  for  it  arises  from 

1  Lam.  iii.  44. 


116  THE  FATHER. 

my  own  sins  and  transgressions.  Still,  as  the  sun 
shines  even  behind  the  clouds,  operates  in  them,  and 
sheds  its  genial  influence,  with  the  rain,  upon  the 
earth ;  so,  even  in  trouble,  Thou  still  continuest  my 
God,  and  so  powerful  is  Thy  working  in  it,  that,  after 
a  brief  interval,  I  can  mark  the  traces  of  Thy  grace 
upon  my  soul ;  and  hence,  whether  smiling  or  frown- 
ing, Thou  art  still  my  beloved  Father  and  my  gracious 
God! 


LXVI. 


EFLECTING,  said  Gotthold,  upon  the  words 
of  Thy  prophet,  How  great  is  Thy  goodness  0 
Lord,  which  Thou  hast  laid  up  for  them  that 
fear  Thee,1  it  seems  to  me  that  he  means  to 
depict  God  as  a  Father  who,  no  doubt,  keeps 
His  children  under  discipline,  and  subjects  them  to  the 
rod,  but  who,  with  all  his  labor  and  pains,  still  aims 
at  nothing  but  to  lay  up  for  them  a  store  which  may 
contribute  to  their  comfort,  when  they  have  grown  to 
maturity  and  learned  the  prudent  use  of  it. 

My  Father,  in  this  world  Thou  hidest  from  Thy  chil- 

l  Tsalm  xxxi.  19. 


THE  FLOWER-POT.  117 

dren  Thy  great  goodness,  as  if  it  did  not  pertain  to 
them.  But  being  Thy  children,  we  may  be  well  as- 
sured that  the  celestial  treasures  will  be  bestowed  upon 
none  else.  For  this  reason,  I  will  bear  my  lot  with 
patience.  But  oh !  from  time  to  time,  waft  to  me  a 
breath  of  air  from  the  heavenly  land,  to  refresh  my 
sorrowful  heart ;  I  will  then  wait  more  calmly  for  its 
full  fruition.  How  amiable  are  Thy  tabernacles,  0 
Lord  of  Hosts !  my  soul  longeth,  yea,  even  fainteth 
for  the  courts  of  the  Lord ;  my  heart  and  my  flesh 
crieth  out  for  the  living  God.1  When  shall  I  come 
and  appear  before  God  ? 2 


LXVII. 


S  he  was  walking  in  a  garden,  Gotthold  saw  a 
collection  of  flowers,  planted  in  beautifully 
painted  and  ornamented  pots,  and  shown  off 
upon  a  lofty  stage  ;  and  he  thought  with  him- 
self: Even  these  flowers  are  daughters  of  the 
earth  ;  by  earth  they  live,  and  to  earth  they  shall  be 
turned.  Of  earth,  too,  are  formed,  and  with  earth  are 
filled,  the  gaudy  pots  in  which  they  grow.  Wait  but 
a  little,  and  of  all  the  showy  flowers  which  figure  on 

l  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  1,  2.  2  Psalm,  xlii.  2. 


118  FRAILTIES. 

that  lofty  stage,  there  will  be  no  more  to  say  than  of 
the  humble  violet  that  creeps  upon  the  ground,  and 
fades  in  the  month  of  March.  Paint  such  a  flower-pot, 
and  inscribe  it  with  the  motto:  We  fade  like  other 
flowers ;  earth  and  nothing  more ;  and  you  will  have 
an  appropriate  emblem  of  worldly  greatness  and  glory. 
It  is  true,  that  in  the  garden  of  the  world  God  has  ex- 
alted some  men  among  the  rest,  and  given  them  supe- 
rior consequence  and  distinction,  by  the  dignities,  hon- 
ors, offices,  wealth,  palaces,  clothing,  or  attendants, 
which  they  possess.  After  all,  however,  they  still  con- 
tinue earth  and  ashes,  are  sustained  by  the  earth,  like 
others ;  and  when  they  have  shed  their  blossoms,  and 
finished  their  course,  become  earth  in  the  strictest 
sense  of  the  word. 


LXVIII. 

Jrailius. 

GOOD  man  was  complaining  of  his  many  frail- 
ties. I  am,  he  said,  like  a  child,  who  this 
moment  gives,  and  the  next  takes  back  the 
gift.  In  my  intentions,  I  give  liberally  to  my 
God,  but  I  soon  reclaim  all  that  I  have  given. 
When  He  alarms  or  corrects  me,  I  make  Him  plenty 
of  promises ;  but,  alas !  they  are  soon  forgotten,  and 


FRAILTIES.  H9 

seldom  kept.  Hereupon  his  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
Well,  said  Gotthold,  if  it  be  true  that  you  are  like  a 
child,  it  is  also  true  that  God  likens  Himself  to  a 
father,  who  pitieth  his  children.1  For  my  part,  I 
never  either  saw  or  heard  of  a  father  who,  for  a  few 
faults  or  short-comings,  drove  his  child  from  his  home, 
drowned  him  in  the  river,  or  cast  him  into  the  fire. 
Without  patience,  and  a  large  measure  of  pity  on  a 
father's  part,  it  is  impossible  to  train  a  child  and  rear 
him  to  manhood ;  and  unless  God  overlook  many 
faults,  and  exercise  great  compassion  towards  us,  not 
one  of  us  will  ever  enter  heaven.  Or,  do  we  men, 
who  are  evil,  suppose  that  we  can  possibly  be  more 
patient  than  the  gracious  and  long-suffering  God? 
The  moon,  even  at  the  brightest,  is  not  without  spots ; 
and  just  as  little  is  the  Christian  without  sins,  even 
at  his  best.  It  is  true  he  has  forsaken  his  sins,  but 
his  sins  have  not  forsaken  him.  Recollect  that  you 
are  under  the  eye  and  discipline  of  a  good  and  gra- 
cious God,  who  knoweth  our  frame,  and  whose  wisdom 
and  goodness  shine  most  conspicuously  in  the  fatherly 
long-suffering  and  forbearance  with  which  He  treats 
the  frailties  of  His  saints,  and  renders  even  these  sub- 
servient to  their  welfare.  Above  all,  however,  forget 
not  to  look  to  the  crucified  Jesus,  and  His  sacred  blood 
and  merits.  You  are  not  the  man  to  stand  before  God 
in  your  own  strength ;  Christ  must  be  in  you,  and  you 
in  Christ. 

l  Tsalm  ciii.  13. 


120  THE   WEEPING   DAMSEL. 

LXIX. 

£|j*  Moping  gams*!. 

EEING  a  young  lady  in  tears,  Gotthold,  inquir- 
ing into  the  cause,  was  told,  that  in  a  company 
of  persons  of  her  own  age,  she  had  been  slighted 
and  overlooked  on  account  of  her  poverty,  plain 
attire,  and  simple  manners.  He  thereupon  ex- 
claimed :  Blessed  is  he  whom  the  world  slights  and 
disregards !  He  is  like  the  shipwrecked  mariner,  tossed 
by  the  violence  of  the  sea,  but  tossed  upon  a  cliff,  where 
he  can  save  his  life.  How  good  it  is  when  the  world, 
which  usually  plays  the  part  of  seductress  for  the  devil, 
itself  cuts  off  the  opportunity  of  sinning!  Believe  me, 
those  young  ladies  who  are  so  gayly  attired,  and  so 
fondly  worshipped  and  caressed,  are  like  beautiful  flow- 
ers, around  which  the  bees  and  moths  swarm  in  crowds, 
to  rob  them  of  their  honey.  Godliness  is  like  a  pre- 
cious oil  in  a  brittle  phial.  The  best  way  to  preserve 
it  is  to  lay  it  upon  the  shelf,  and  not  trust  it  into  im- 
prudent hands.  If  you  are  no  favorite  with  the  world, 
let  the  world  be  no  favorite  with  you,  and  this  will 
adjust  the  balance.  Make  it  your  single  aim  to  please 
God.  Let  the  crown  and  wreath  about  your  head  be 
His  grace ;  your  necklace,  a  string  of  texts  of  Scrip- 
ture ;  your  pearls,  tears  of  repentance,  prayer,  and 
loYe ;  your  garments,  piety  and  righteousness  of  faith ; 


THE   INVALID.  121 

your  ring,  a  good  conscience ;  your  lace,  humility ; 
your  white  linen,  an  unblemished  walk ;  your  favorite 
language,  prayer ;  your  mirror,  the  law,  and  holy  life 
of  Jesus ;  and  your  riches,  heaven.  Thus  you  will  be 
the  bride  of  Christ,  and,  in  the  land  of  glory,  be  pre- 
ferred before  many  others. 


LXX. 


OTTHOLD  one  day  visited  a  sick  man,  who 
suffered  great  inward  anguish,  as  the  drops  of 
sweat  upon  his  face  testified.  He  tossed  im- 
patiently from  side  to  side  upon  his  bed, 
often  rose,  and  made  them  carry  him  from  place  to 
place,  in  the  vain  hope  of  finding  ease  and  rest.  Gott- 
hold  sighed  to  behold  him,  and  thought  with  himself: 
How  vain  to  think  of  curing  inward  care  and  trouble 
by  external  means,  apply  or  change  them  as  often  as 
you  may  !  The  best  thing  for  this  poor  man  would  be 
to  exercise,  if  he  could,  some  little  self-control,  and  pa- 
tiently wait  till  rest  came.  But  we  often  act  in  the 
same  way  in  our  spiritual  troubles.  The  burdened 
conscience,  or  the  heart  pierced  by  the  arrows  of  the 


122  THE   SWALLOW. 

Almighty,  seeks  rest  in  restlessness,  tries  every  plan, 
and  endeavors  by  outward  pleasure  to  deaden  the  sense 
of  inward  anguish. 


LXXI. 

Sballoixr. 


NE  day  in  spring,  Gotthold  observed  a  swallow 
busily  employed  in  building  its  nest,  and  fastening 
it  to  one  of  the  windows  of  the  church.  It 
collected  and  wrought  the  clay  with  its  bill  ; 
and,  although  it  could  carry  little  at  a  time, 
Ft  ill,  by  dint  of  unceasing  industry,  it  contrived,  ere 
long,  to  fashion  and  complete  the  fabric.  Here,  said 
lie  to  himself,  I  have  a  pleasing  image  of  the  indus- 
trious and  godly  man.  Many  such  commence  life  as 
poor  as  this  bird,  which  has  nothing  but  what  God 
allots  it,  or  its  bill  can  scrape  together.  Nevertheless, 
if  they  do  not  grow  weary  in  prayer  and  well-doing, 
the  bountiful  Giver  of  all  good  gives  them  one  penny 
to-day,  and  another  to-morrow,  until  they  accumulate 
a  heap  of  surprising  magnitude.  If,  however,  it  be 
true  that  persevering  labor,  conjoined  with  the  Divine 
blessing,  can  do  so  great  things,  I  ought  to  act  upon 


THE   HEWN    WILLOWS.  123 

this  truth  in  collecting  spiritual  riches.  My  abilities 
are  small,  and  my  faith  weak  ;  still  I  will  trust  to  God's 
gracious  aid,  and  never  doubt  that,  by  steady  exercise 
and  holy  diligence,  my  Christianity  will  increase  and 
improve  from  day  to  day.  It  is  Thy  method,  0  God, 
when  Thou  hast  a  great  work  in  hand,  to  begin  with 
little  things,  or  even  with  nothing,  that  Thy  excellent 
power  and  free  grace  may  have  all  the  glory.  Even 
so  I  will  never  fear  the  successful  increase  of  my  god- 
liness, however  small  it  may  be,  so  long  as  Thy  good 
Spirit  does  not  cease  to  work  within  me. 

Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will,  for  Thou  art  my  God. 
Thy  Spirit  is  good.     Lead  me  into  the  land  of  upright- 


LXXII. 

Millofas. 


OTTHOLD  observed  that  some  willow  trees, 
which  had  been  hewn  down  and  laid  upon  the 
ground,  to  mend  the  path,  had  sprouted,  and 
sent  their  shoots  upright  into  the  air.     This, 
said  he,  is  a  pleasing  image  of  those  who, 
having  been  humbled  by  sickness  and  divers  misfor- 
tunes, lie,  as  it  were,  prostrate  under  the  world's  feet, 

1  Tsalm  cxliii.  10. 


124  THE    WOUNDED    STAG. 

but  direct  their  sighs  and  aspirations,  desires  and 
thoughts,  solely  to  the  better  world  —  of  such  a  per- 
son, for  instance,  as  Lazarus.  Oh,  how  blessed  is  that 
humiliation  which  elevates  the  heart  to  heaven  !  How 
desirable  to  lie  beneath  the  feet  of  the  world,  in  respect 
of  our  outward  circumstances,  while  in  spirit  we  repose 
in  the  bosom  of  God ! 


LXXIII. 


ROCEEDING,  Gotthold  remarked:  As  the 
stag,  which  the  huntsman  has  hit,  flies  through 
bush  and  brake,  over  stock  and  stone,  and 
thereby  exhausts  its  strength,  but  does  not  ex- 
pel the  deadly  bullet  from  its  body  ;  so  does 
experience  show  that  they  who  have  troubled  con- 
sciences run  from  place  to  place,  but  wherever  they  go, 
bear  with  them  their  dangerous  wounds.  In  such  cases, 
the  true  remedy  is  patience,  and  the  word  of  the 
prophet  :  I  will  bear  the  indignation  of  the  Lord,  be- 
cause I  have  sinned  against  Him.1  Sighs,  groans,  and 
tears,  are  not  forbidden,  but  impatience,  and  incessant 
change  of  place,  only  aggravate  the  evil. 

1  Micah  vii.  9. 


THE   FOLDED    HANDS.  125 

0  Thou  faithful  God!  if  it  be  Thy  gracious  will  to 
bring  anguish  like  this  upon  my  soul,  enable  me  to  wait 
upon  Thee,  from  whom  cometh  my  salvation.1  Lord 
Jesus,  in  obedience  to  Thy  word,  when  I  labor  and  am 
heavy  laden,  I  will  go  unto  Thee,  for  with  Thee  I  shall 
assuredly  find  rest  unto  my  soul.2  If  I  run  at  all,  it 
shall  be  after  Thee,  and  as  a  weeping  child.  As  for  me, 
I  will  call  upon  God,  and  the  Lord  shall  save  me.  Even- 
ing, morning,  and  at  noon,  will  I  pray,  and  cry  aloud, 
and  He  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  deliver  my  soul  in 
peace  from  the  battle  that  was  against  me.3 


LXXIV. 

fanlrs 


grace  having  been  one  day  said  at  table,  the 
question  was  started,  what  might  be  signified 
^r>-r?  by  the  custom  of  folding  the  hands  at  prayer, 
when  Gotthold  began  and  said :  The  out- 
ward posture  and  carriage  of  the  body  and 
its  several  members,  during  prayer,  has  been  different 
in  different  periods,  and  among  different  nations.  In 
the  Old  Testament,  and  likewise  at  the  commencement 
of  the  New,  it  was  the  custom  to  pray  with  the  arms 

1  Psalm  Ixii.  1.  2  Matt.  xi.  28,  29.  3  Psalm  Iv.  16-18. 


126  THE  FOLDED    HANDS. 

and  hands  extended,  so  that  the  body  of  the  suppliant 
formed  a  perfect  cross.  This  custom  was,  no  doubt, 
suggested  to  the  early  believers  by  the  remembrance, 
and  was  intended  also  to  serve  as  a  memorial,  of  their 
Lord's  death.  In  subsequent  times  it  gave  place  to  our 
method  of  folding  the  hands,  which  has  not  only  the 
same,  but,  as  I  shall  endeavor  to  explain,  a  much  larger 
import.  We  pray  with  our  thumbs  across,  and  this 
ought  to  remind  us  to  found  our  expectations  of  being 
heard  upon  our  crucified  Saviour.  The  fingers  inter- 
twined admonish  in  like  manner,  to  pray  in  sincerity, 
with  pacific  and  forgiving  hearts,  inasmuch,  as  if  our 
minds  be  alienated  by  strife  and  discord,  our  prayers 
cannot  please  the  God  of  peace.  It  often  happens,  that 
during  prayers,  and  *as  the  warmth  of  our  devotion  in- 
creases, the  hands  involuntarily  clasp  closer  and  closer 
together,  as  if  we  grasped  some  object  between  them, 
and  wished  to  hold  it  fast.  Of  this,  a  pious  man  once 
said :  "  Often,  when  in  prayer,  I  feel  as  if  I  held  be- 
tween my  palms  the  fatherly  heart  of  my  God  and  the 
bloody  hand  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  for  I  remind  the  one 
of  His  divine  love  and  inconceivable  mercies,  and  I 
grasp  the  other  by  His  promise,  and  strive  to  hold  Him 
fast  and  say,  I  will  not  let  Thee  go  except  Thou  bless 
me." l  As  we  likewise  know  that  a  devout  heart  is  the 
chief  requisite  for  acceptable  prayer,  so  may  the  linking 
of  the  fingers  remind  us  that  we  ought  not  in  prayer 

l  Geii.  xxxii.  26. 


THE  HOP   PLANT.  127 

to  permit  our  thoughts  to  flutter  to  and  fro,  but  should 
bind  them  firmly  together  by  holy  resolution,  and  point 
them  to  the  one  object  of  calling  upon  God  in  spirit 
and  in  truth.1  In  like  manner,  finally,  the  folding  of 
the  hands  conduces  to  humility  in  prayer ;  inasmuch  as 
we  thereby  present  ourselves  before  a  righteous  God  in 
something  of  the  attitude  of  malefactors,  with  our 
hands  bound.  Oh  that  when  we  do  so,  we  may  clearly 
and  inwardly  feel  that,  by  our  manifold  sins,  we  have 
justly  deserved  to  be  bound  hand  and  foot,  and  cast 
into  outer  darkness,  so  that  in  our  prayers  we  can  no 
longer  plead  our  rights,  but  only  implore  mercies. 

Lord  Jesus!  give  me  a  truly  believing,  meek,  and 
humble  heart,  and  then  when  I  pray,  I  shall  never  pray 
in  vain. 


LXXV. 

£frt  fop  |p lani. 

A  Y I N  G  gone  into  a  hop  ground,  Gotthold  took 
pleasure  in  observing  how  elegantly  the  weak 
and  slender  plant  twined  around  the  poles, 
and  climbed  till  it  overtopped  them,  and  began 
to.  reflect  why  it  had  pleased  the  infinitely  wise 
Creator  of  all  things  to  make  this  and  other  plants, 

1  John  iv.  24. 

9 


128  THE  HOP   PLANT. 

such  as  the  vine,  the  ivy,  the  pea,  and  the  cucumber, 
which  cannot  grow  without  extraneous  help  and  sup- 
port. One  reason,  as  he  observed,  no  doubt  was,  that 
I  might  everywhere  find  objects  to  remind  me  how 
weak  I  am.  These  plants  are  destitute  alike  of  beauty 
and  fruitfulness,  unless  they  find  a  pole  to  be  the  sup- 
port of  their  feebleness.  It  is  the  same  with  my  soul, 
which  labors  under  a  thousand  infirmities.  Sin  makes 
me  weak  and  so  does  sorrow,  and  manifold  temptations 
from  within  and  without;  and  how  could  I  exist,  or 
shoot  towards  heaven,  unless  upheld  by  the  power  of 
God  and  the  stake  of  the  cross  of  Christ?  These 
plants  are  impelled  by  a  natural  exigence  to  seek 
support ;  so  that  we  sometimes  see  them  creeping 
for  a  space  along  the  ground,  and,  as  it  were,  lan- 
guishing till  they  meet  with  something  around  which 
they  can  twine.  Several  of  them,  too,  are  provided 
by  nature  with  little  tendrils  and  bands,  by  which 
they  fasten  and  attach  themselves  to  their  supports. 
Even  so  do  I  feel  within  me  the  motions  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  constantly  reminding  me  of  my  weakness,  in- 
spiring me  with  repentance  and  humility,  and  making 
me  yearn  for  the  grace  of  God  and  the  cross  of  my 
Lord  Jesus.  My  tendrils  and  bands  are  the  believ- 
ing sighs  with  which  I  take  hold  of  Christ,  the  prop 
and  support  of  my  salvation,  and  so,  weak  though  I 
am,  I  stand  even  against  the  might  of  the  gates  of 
hell! 


THE  ROD.  129 

LXXVI. 


ISITINGa  friend  one  day,  Gotthold  found  him 
seated  with  his  family  at  table,  and  observed 
that  the  children  all  received  a  due  portion 
of  food,  and  were  required  to  eat  it  in  a 
quiet  and  orderly  way;  but,  that  beside  the  father's 
plate,  there  was  also  lying  upon  the  table  a  rod,  to 
warn  them  against  improprieties  of  conduct  and  man- 
ners. He  thereupon  observed  to  his  friend:  You 
treat  your  children  as  our  heavenly  Father  treats 
His.  He,  too,  prepares  a  table  before  them,1  and  gives 
them  all  sorts  of  good  things,  spiritual  and  temporal, 
to  enjoy,  and  yet  the  rod,  which  is  another  name  for 
the  cross,  must  likewise  be  at  hand,  that  we  may  not 
become  froward,  but  walk  in  holy  fear  and  filial  obedi- 
ence. Of  this  truth,  God  has  given  us  an  almost  simi- 
lar emblem  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures.  For  the  ark  of 
the  Old  Testament  contained  not  only  the  golden  pot 
with  the  manna,  but  also  Aaron's  rod,  which  blossomed, 
to  intimate  the  authority  He  exercises  over  His  family, 
and  teach  us  that  although  He  feeds  the  members  with 
the  hidden  manna3  of  His  sweet  grace,  He  also  pur- 
poses to  use  the  rod,  if  He  shall  see  cause,  and  to  do 
both  the  one  and  the  other  for  our  welfare  and  salva- 

l  Psalm  xxiii.  5.  2  Heb.  ix.  4.  3  Rev.  ii.  17. 


130  .  THE  ROD. 

tion.  The  same  hand  prepares  the  table  and  wields  the 
rod.  From  one  and  the  same  heart  flow  both  comfort 
and  cross.  God  continues  our  loving  and  gracious  Fa- 
ther when  He  chastises  and  corrects,  no  less  than  when 
He  refreshes  and  comforts  us.  A  good  man  once  perti- 
nently said,  that  it  was  a  doubtful  matter  whether 
bread  or  chastisement  was  best  for  children,  because, 
while  bread  was  necessary  for  them  to  live,  chastise- 
ment was  necessary  for  their  living  well.  Even  so 
must  we,  too,  confess  that  the  dear  cross  is  as  needful 
to  us  as  life  itself,  and  far  more  needful  and  salutary 
than  all  the  blessings  and  honors  of  the  world.  In 
heaven,  the  glorified  spirits,  who  now  fully  understand 
its  mystery,  and  enjoy,  in  the  everlasting  rest,  the 
sweet  fruit  which  grows  upon  this  thorny  brier,  will 
thank  the  all-wise  and  gracious  God  especially,  for  His 
holy  cross  and  fatherly  correction,  without  which  they 
would  never  have  reached  the  seat  of  bliss  and  glory. 
Let  us  also  learn  this  lesson,  and  say  from  the  heart : 
It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted,  that  I  might 
learn  Thy  statutes.1  Whether  we  like  it  or  not,  the 
Lord  our  God  will  not  change  His  ways.  Whoever 
wishes  to  be  His  child,  must  take  bread  and  sorrow 
together  from  His  hand.  No  guest  at  His  table  need 
think  it  strange  to  see  the  rod  upon  it,  and  be  obliged 
often  to  eat  his  heavenly  Father's  bread  moistened  with 
tears.  Here,  in  this  world,  it  cannot  be  otherwise  ;  but 

l  Psalm  cxix.  71. 


DEATH.  131 

when  we  shall  one  day  sit  at  His  table  in  heaven,  every 
rod  shall  be  cast  into  the  fire. 

0  my  Father !  I  am  becoming  accustomed,  by  degrees, 
to  Thy  ways,  and  have  no  objection  to  the  rules  of  Thy 
domestic  government.  Daily  do  I  strive  to  learn,  not 
only  to  relish  the  bread,  but  also  to  kiss  the  rod. 


LXXVII. 


ANY  a  man,  said  Gotthold,  has  an  ill-favored 
countenance,  is  lean  and  haggard,  pale  and 
sallow,  and  mean  in  his  attire,  and  yet,  under 
an  ungainly  exterior,  conceals  great  talents 
and  virtues.  Such  is  the  case  with  death. 
Ah  me  !  how  much  that  is  good,  and  sweet,  and  blessed, 
is  concealed  beneath  its  sour  aspect  and  transitory  bit- 
terness !  It  is  not  I  who  die  when  I  die,  but  my  sin  and 
misery.  As  often  as  I  think  of  death,  I  figure  to  my- 
self that  I  see  a  messenger  coming  from  a  distant  land, 
bringing  me  good  news  of  my  Saviour,  the  Bridegroom 
of  my  soul,  and  of  the  inheritance  which  He  has  pur- 
chased with  His  blood,  and  reserves  for  me  in  heaven. 
What  care  I  although  the  messenger  have  an  ugly  face, 


132  THE   MARRIAGE. 

be  armed  with  a  long  dart,  wear  a  tattered  coat,  and 
knock  rudely  at  my  door  ?  I  attend  less  to  his  appear- 
ance than  to  his  business. 

My  Faithful  Saviour  !  It  should  not  distress  me 
though  all  the  birds  of  the  air  were  daily  and  hourly  to 
sing  and  discourse  to  me  of  my  mortality.  The  nectar 
I  sip  from  Thy  dripping  wounds,  swallows  up  the  few 
bitter  drops  which  death  pours  out  to  me  from  his  cup, 
at  my  departure  from  this  world.  What,  Lord  Jesus, 
should  I  long  for  more  than  to  depart  and  be  with 
Thee! 


LXXVIII. 


EING  present  at  a  marriage,  after  the  perform- 
ance of  the  ceremony,  Gotthold  observed,  with 
wonder,  the  pains  and  unremitting  attention 
and  zeal  of  the  parents  of  the  bride  to  enter- 
tain the  guests  and  minister  to  their  enjoyment. 
"Well,  said  Gotthold  to  himself,  Marriage  seems  to  me 
to  be  one  of  the  most  unaccountable  of  miracles. 
These  parents  love  their  child  ;  they  brought  her  into 


THE  MARRIAGE.  133 

the  world  with  sorrow  and  pain,  educated  her  with 
much  labor  and  expense,  and  now  have  reared  her  to 
that  time  of  life  at  which  she  might  be  helpful  to 
them  in  their  impending  old  age,  and  take  a  share  in 
the  management  of  their  business  or  household ;  when, 
behold,  they  give  her  away  to  a  man  who  is  a  stranger 
to  them,  and  never  did  anything  to  earn  the  boon. 
Nay,  they  give  her  with  outlay  and  trouble,  joy  and 
feasting,  as  if  they  counted  it  a  happy  thing  to  be  quit 
of  her.  What  is  more,  with  their  child  they  likewise 
give  him  their  hearts,  and  conceive  for  him  an  affection 
often  as  strong  as  for  their  own  bodily  offspring.  The 
daughter,  likewise,  now  forsakes  her  father's  house,  and 
all  the  enjoyments  to  which  she  was  there  accustomed, 
and  resigns  herself  to  the  conjugal  service  of  a  man, 
who,  but  a  short  time  before,  was  wholly  unknown  to 
her.  Verily,  there  is  here  a  higher  hand,  which  knows 
how  to  incline  hearts,  and  knit  them  together,  above  all 
human  thought  and  expectation,  but  in  His  own  wise 
and  wondrous  way. 

My  God,  we  men  have  often  our  hands  so  full,  that 
we  forget  that  the  supreme  government  of  all  things 
belongs  to  Thee.  And  Thou,  on  Thy  part,  often  con- 
ductest  Thy  government  so  quietly,  or  permittest  events 
to  take  so  strange  a  course,  that  the  last  thing  we 
would  suspect  is  the  presence  of  Thy  hand  in  the  game. 
A  closer  inspection,  however,  soon  shows  us  that  Thou 
controllest  and  bringest  into  order  the  vast  confusion 


134  THE  CLOUDS. 

of  the  world,  and,  even  in  silence,  marvellously  display- 
est  Thy  gracious  crown.  He,  therefore,  is  a  fool  who 
wills  anything  but  what  Thou  wilt. 


LXXIX. 


yFTEB,  a  heavy  fall  of  rain,  and  when  a  gentle 
east  wind  was  beginning  to  clear  the  sky, 
Gotthold  walked  forth  into  the  fields,  thanked 
his  God  for  the  fertilizing  storm ;  and  lifting 
his  eyes  to  the  heavens  and  beholding  the  roll- 
ing clouds,  said  to  himself:  My  God,  there  go  the 
chariots  in  which  (to  use  the  language  of  weak  men) 
Thou  ridest  forth  to  inspect  Thy  fields  and  gardens, 
Thy  meadows,  forests,  and  plains.  Beggars  are  wont 
to  run  behind  the  chariots  of  the  wealthy,  and  cry 
aloud  for  alms.  To  Thee,  0  God,  we  are  all  beggars ; 
and  when  Thou  ridest  forth  on  Thy  chariot  of  the 
clouds,  we  cry  after  Thee,  Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread.  The  clouds  are  also  the  pitcher  with  which, 
like  a  gardener,  Thou  waterest  the  sultry  glebe  in 
times  of  drought.  They  are  the  pipes  by  which  Thou 


THE  SHOOTING-MATCH.  135 

conductest  moisture  into  the  firmament,  and  thence 
causest  it  to  descend  in  rain,  and  bless  the  earth. 
They  are  Thy  storehouses,  richly  filled  with  wine, 
beer,  oil,  butter,  corn,  and  malt,  and  Thou  openest 
it  in  Thy  goodness,  and  satisfiest  the  desire  of  every- 
thing that  lives.  They  are  great  curtains,  which,  at 
Thy  good  pleasure,  Thou  drawest  as  a  covering  for 
the  plants,  that  they  may  not  be  withered  and  de- 
stroyed by  the  continuance  of  the  heat.  Not  seldom, 
too,  are  they  the  arsenal  in  which  Thou  keepest  Thine 
artillery  of  thunder  and  lightning,  in  order,  at  set 
times,  to  strike  the  children  of  men  with  reverential 
awe,  or  inflict  upon  them  some  great  punishment. 


LXXX. 


N  a  certain  neighborhood,  the  young  men  had 
been  allowed,  for  pleasure  and  pastime,  to  set 
up  a  target,  at  which  they  shot,  all  endeavoring 
to  do  their  best.  Gotthold  happened  to  be  in  the 
vicinity,  and,  hearing  the  reports,  fell  into  the 
following  train  of  reflection :  All  of  these  shooters  aim 
at  the  black  mark,  and  yet  there  can  be  little  doubt 


136  THE   SHOOTING-MATCH. 

that  only  a  few  will  hit  it.  The  same  is  the  case  with 
our  Christianity  and  its  perfection.  Since  the  fall  we 
no  longer  (to  use  the  sportsman's  phrase)  have  a 
steady  hand.  But  although  an  outline  of  Divine  per- 
fection, in  other  words,  the  Law,  is  set  before  us,  as 
the  mark  at  which,  in  all  our  thoughts,  words,  and 
works,  we  are  to  aim ;  still  we  so  often  shoot  aside, 
that  our  perfection  is  really  imperfection,  and  we  must 
even  reckon  it  a  kind  of  perfection  to  be  aware  how 
imperfect  we  are,  mourn  over  our  defects,  and  en- 
deavor, by  the  practice  of  godliness,  to  grow  daily 
better.  None  of  us  has  reached  the  mark  as  we 
ought  to  have  done ;  but  we  are  all  upon  the  way 
to  it,  one  nearer,  another  not  so  near,  and  God  is 
satisfied  with  us,  if  He  only  find  us  laboring  and 
pressing  towards  it.  Would  that  men  were  but  sat- 
isfied with  each  other,  when  this  one  strikes  the  cen- 
tre, and  that  one  only  touches  the  corner  of  the  target ! 
Why  do  we  despise  a  brother  because  we  are  nearing 
the  goal,  while  he  is  doing  his  best  to  follow  ?  Show 
me  the  man  who  has  always  hit  and  never  missed 
the  mark,  —  I  mean  who  has  at  all  times  and  in  all 
things  chosen  the  better  part,  —  and  I  will  look  upon 
him  with  astonishment,  as  an  angel.  My  God !  keep 
my  Christianity  in  continual  exercise ;  for  exercise 
brings  increase,  and  increase,  at  last,  perfection, — 
not,  perhaps,  such  as  will  satisfy  man,  but  such  as 
will  satisfy  Thee,  my  benign  and  merciful  Judge. 


THE   SILK-WORM.  137 


LXXXI. 


N  being  shown  some  silk-worms,  kept  by  a  boy  in 
a  band-box,  and  fed  with  mulberry  leaves,  Gott- 
hold  thought  with  himself:  And  so  it  is  a 
worm  that  ministers  to  men  the  means  of 
-  luxury  and  pomp  !  I  could  wish  that  no  rib- 
bon were  ever  either  sold  or  put  on,  until  such  a  worm 
were  shown  and  contemplated.  Perhaps  this  might 
lead  some  to  reflect  how  absurd  it  is  for  one  worm  to 
ornament  himself  with  what  another  spins,  especially 
considering  that  at  last,  with  all  his  glory,  he  must  be- 
come the  prey  of  worms.  For  the  rest,  the  silk-worm 
obeys  the  instinct  which  is  common  to  all  the  caterpil- 
lar tribe.  When  it  has  eaten  its  portion,  and  lived  its 
time,  it  looks  about  for  some  corner  in  which  it  may 
lie  down,  unseen  and  undisturbed,  and  die.  There  it 
immures  and  envelops  itself  in  its  web,  and  all  the 
store  which  it  has  gathered,  serves  no  other  purpose 
than  to  make  for  it  a  burying-place.  Alas,  ye  children 
of  men  !  you,  too,  eat  and  drink,  accumulate  fortunes, 
and  strain  every  nerve  to  become  great  in  the  world  ; 
but  all  this  issues  at  last  in  the  necessity  of  choosing 
for  yourselves  a  grave.  Happy  he  who,  from  this  insect, 
learns  in  time  to  forego  temporal  things,  and  bends  all 
his  thoughts  to  consider  how  he  may  at  last  die  in  peace  ! 


138  THE  RYE   IN  FLOWER. 

Thou  faithful  God !  my  chief  anxiety  is  for  my  soul, 
and  the  best  thing  I  can  do  for  it  is  to  wrap  and  clothe 
it  in  the  fair  white  silk  of  Christ's  righteousness.1 
Grant  that,  like  a  beautiful  butterfly,  I  may  one  day 
burst  forth,  and  wing  my  way  to  the  life  eternal. 


LXXXII. 

&'j*  Sfi*  in 

XPERIENCE  shows  that  if  you  pluck  a  stalk 
of  rye,  strip  it  of  the  blossom,  and  hold  it  for  a 
little  in  your  hand,  the  blossom  will  come 
again.  Conversing  with  a  friend,  to  whom  he 
had  shown  this,  and  who  expressed  his  sur- 
prise at  the  fact,  and  his  desire  to  know  the  cause, 
Gotthold  said :  In  many  things  we  observe  a  strong 
vegetative  power.  From  the  grain  of  corn  in  the 
ground  nature  elicits  a  shoot,  and  pushes  it  through  the 
stiff  crust  of  the  earth,  and  then  from  the  shoot  a  stalk, 
and  from  the  stalk  an  ear.  In  trees  there  is  a  pressure 
which  moves  the  sap,  and  from  the  solid  wood  pro- 
duces leaves,  and  flowers  and  fruits.  In  the  stock  and 
branches  of  the  vine,  too,  the  sap  is  forced  upwards, 

l  Revelation  xix.  8. 


THE  RYE   IN   FLOWER.  139 

and  when  the  pruning  has  made  the  room  to  hold  it 
insufficient,  it  flows  out,  as  if  the  plant  were  weeping. 
Now,  in  these  ears  there  is  a  power  of  the  same  kind, 
and  of  a  strength  sufficient  to  renew  the  blossom,  even 
when  that  has  been  stripped  away.  This  power  others 
may  call  by  what  name,  and  describe  in  what  way, 
they  please.  I  say,  that  it  is  the  incessantly  produc- 
tive goodness  of  God,  which  operates  always,  makes  all 
things  shoot  and  grow,  and  never  ceases  promoting  the 
good  of  man. 

But  what  you  observe  in  plants,  you  ought  also  to 
experience  within  yourself;  according  to  the  words 
of  the  apostle :  As  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God.1  In  truth,  the 
power  of  God's  Spirit  is  never  at  rest.  It  quickens  and 
moves  continually  the  hearts  of  the  godly.  From  it 
proceed  all  holy  thoughts,  devout  desires,  heavenly 
yearnings,  longing  sighs,  affectionate  tears,  fervent  pray- 
ers, and  unwearied  diligence  in  the  service  of  God  and 
mankind ;  as  flower  succeeds  flower  in  the  rye,  so  does 
one  act  of  devotion,  love  and  joy,  another.  If  you 
have  no  experience  of  the  kind,  learn  now  from  this 
humble  stalk  that  the  fault  is  your  own ;  either  you 
do  not  mark,  or  you  do  not  obey,  the  motions  of  God's 
Spirit. 

Lord  Jesus !  what  can  I  do  without  Thy  strength  ? 
For  what  am  I  fit  without  Thy  Spirit?  Unless  it 

1  Rom.  viii.  14. 


140  THISTLES. 

quicken  the  inward  powers  of  my  soul,  I  am  impotent 
alike  either  to  will  or  to  do.  Quicken  me,  then,  0 
God !  but  help  me  likewise  to  obey  Thy  impulse  with 
alacrity. 


LXXXIII. 

Cjjisths. 

,ASSING  a  field  one  day,  Gotthold  observed 
that  there  were  many  thistles  mixed  with  the 
wheat,  and  rivalling  it  in  growth,  on  which  he 
observed :  We  often  see  the  match  of  this  in 
the  world.  It  happens,  for  instance,  with  supe- 
rior minds ;  for  along  with  the  fine  wheat  of  useful 
counsels  and  lofty  thoughts,  they  likewise  breed  and 
foster  many  a  thistle  of  folly  and  dangerous  error.  The 
same  thing  happens  also  with  our  own  heart,  which, 
when  bedewed  with  the  grace  and  Spirit  of  God,  some- 
times promises  to  abound  with  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness. But,  alas!  how  many  thistles  and  weeds  does 
not  the  enemy  scatter  among  these,  and  how  many 
grow  of  themselves,  as  in  all  barren  land  ?  In  fine,  the 
same  is  also  the  case  with  our  prosperity  and  temporal 
welfare.  When  our  wheat  is  ripest,  and  we  imagine 
that  nothing  remains  but  to  apply  the  sickle,  and  gather 


TRANSPLANTED    TREES   AND   FLOWERS.        141 

it  in,  in  full  sheaves,  we  find  that  the  Most  High  has 
caused  thistles  to  grow  amongst  it ;  I  mean,  He  has 
checkered  our  prosperous  state  with  much  adversity, 
in  order  that  we  may  recognize  the  nothingness  of  the 
world,  and  long  all  the  sooner,  and  all  the  more  ar- 
dently, for  heaven. 

My  God !  in  the  world  there  is  no  wisdom  without 
folly,  no  happiness  without  misery,  no  piety  without 
sin,  no  good  without  evil,  and  no  use  without  abuse. 
Oh,  guide  me  to  the  place  where  Thou  Thyself  dwellest, 
and  where  Thou  art  surrounded  with  the  adorations  of 
Thine  elect !  There  is  no  evil  with  Thee.  In  Thee  I 
shall  possess  all  things,  for  Thou  wilt  be  all  in  all.1 


LXXXIV. 

Cms  atttr 


S  Gotthold  was  examining,  with  delight,  some 
double  pinks,  which  at  the  time  were  in  full 
blossom,  he  was  told  by  the  gardener  that  the 
same  plants  had  in  former  years  borne  only  sin- 
gle flowers,  but  that  they  had  been  improved 
and  beautified  by  repeated  transplantations,  and  that  in 

1  1  Cor.  xv.  28. 


142        TRANSPLANTED    TREES  AND   FLOWERS. 

the  same  manner  a  change  of  soil  increases  the  growth, 
and  accelerates  the  bearing  of  a  young  tree. 

This  reminded  Gotthold  that  the  same  happens  to 
men.  Many  a  man,  who  at  home  would  scarcely  have 
borne  even  single  flowers,  when  transplanted  by  Divine 
Providence  abroad,  bears  double  ones ;  another,  who,  if 
rooted  in  his  native  soil,  would  never  have  been  more 
than  a  puny  twig,  is  removed  to  a  foreign  clime,  and 
there  spreads  far  and  wide  his  luxuriant  boughs,  and 
bears  fruit  to  the  delight  of  all.  In  his  native  place,  a 
man  is  seldom  judged  of  by  his  real  qualities,  but 
much  oftener  by  the  opinion  of  his  friends  or  adversa- 
ries. If  of  high  and  noble  lineage,  the  lustre  of  his 
family  may  easily  brighten  his  darkness,  and  not  sel- 
dom empty  bladders  swim  upon  the  surface.  If,  on  the 
contrary,  he  be  of  humble  parentage,  and  tlie  first  or 
second,  perhaps,  who  has  shed  the  light  of  honors  or 
arts  upon  the  family,  all  the  rest,  from  dislike  or  fear, 
do  their  utmost  to  obscure  it,  imagining  that  the  more 
one  rises,  the  more  must  the  others  fall.  At  home,  ac- 
cordingly, a  man  is  esteemed  only  as  much  as  love  or 
hatred,  friendship  or  enmity,  favor  or  dislike,  permit 
him  to  be.  Abroad  it  is  the  man  himself  who  is  con- 
sidered, and  not  the  coat  he  wears.  Often,  too,  stran- 
gers are  like  the  gardeners,  or  flower  fanciers,  who  pre- 
fer beautiful  exotics  for  the  ornaments  of  their  beds. 

My  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  having,  so  far  above  all 
my  expectations,  transplanted  me  from  the  place  of  my 


THE  BIRD   IN  THE  HANDS  OF  CHILDREN.     143 

nativity  to  a  foreign  soil,  where,  until  this  hour,  Thou 
hast  shaded  me  by  Thy  grace,  and  shed  on  me  the  dews 
of  Thy  blessing !  Enable  me  to  bear  much  fruit  unto 
Thee  and  my  neighbor,  and,  with  Jacob,  daily  to  say : 
"  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the  mercies,  and 
of  all  the  truth  which  Thou  hast  showed  unto  thy  ser- 
vant."1 


LXXXV. 

§iztr  in  %  Juntos  af  Cjnitrmt. 

PARTY  of  children  were  amusing  themselves 
with  a  bird,  to  whose  leg  they  had  fastened  a 
string.  The  poor  thing  fluttered  into  the  air, 
and  wished  to  escape,  but  felt  itself  suddenly 
checked  and  drawn  downwards.  Gotthold,  who 
saw  what  was  passing,  thought  with  himself :  It  is  even 
so  with  our  soul  when  it  gets  entangled  with  temporal 
things  and  worldly  lusts.  Good  friends,  merry  com- 
pany, diversions,  and  meetings  of  all  kinds,  are  often 
nothing  but  cords  which  restrain  the  heart,  and  hinder 
it  from  mounting  on  the  wings  of  devotion,  fervent 
desire,  and  aspiration,  towards  heaven.  I  have  often 
been  present  at  an  entertainment,  and  greatly  enjoyed 

l  Gen.  xxxii.  10. 

10 


144  THE    CENTRE. 

it,  without  observing  or  suspecting  at  the  time,  that 
my  heart  had  become  attached  to  some  earthly  object ; 
but  this  I  afterwards  discovered  with  alarm,  when  it 
would  fain  have  soared  aloft  in  communion  with  God. 
Often,  too,  does  one  man  sport  with  another,  as  the 
children  are  doing  with  this  bird,  and,  though  with 
no  bad  intention,  but  rather  with  a  wish  to  please, 
seriously  injure  his  religious  character. 

Happy  the  man  who  can  cast  off  these  bonds,  and 
more  and  more  disengage  himself  from  worldly  satis- 
factions ;  but  oh !  how  blessed  that  soul  which  seeks  its 
peace  and  joy,  pleasure  and  delight,  in  God ;  tastes  a 
few  drops  of  His  sweetness,  and  forgets,  in  the  fruition 
of  them,  even  the  lawful  pleasures  of  the  world ! 


LXXXVI. 


)ONTINUING,  Gotthold  said:  God  is  a  centre 
to  the  soul ;  and,  just  as  in  a  circle,  what  is 
nearest  the  centre  is  subject  to  least  motion, 
so  the  closer  the  soul  is  to  God,  the  less  the 
movement  and  agitation  to  which  it  is  exposed. 
Make  the  experiment  upon  a  level  area:  sink  a  staff 


DUST.  145 

into  the  ground,  attach  a  line  to  it,  and  around  it  as 
a  centre  describe  a  circle  of  considerable  extent ;  then 
bid  some  friend  walk  round  the  circle,  while  you  do 
the  same  round  another  drawn  at  a  shorter  distance 
from  the  staff.  You  will  find  that  your  friend  will 
have  to  walk  long  and  fast  to  complete  his  task,  but 
that  a  few  steps  will  be  enough  for  yours.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  soul.  The  greater  its  distance  from 
God  and  spiritual  and  heavenly  things,  the  wider  the 
circuit  it  will  have  to  make,  the  faster  it  will  have  to 
speed  without  knowing  why,  and  the  more  will  it  seek, 
but  be  unable  to  find  rest.  He,  however,  who,  by  de- 
votion and  faith,  love  and  resignation,  keeps  as  near  as 
possible  to  God,  finds  that  which  his  heart  desires. 


LXXXVII. 


N  an  excursion  into  the  country  during  the  hot 
days  of  summer,  Gotthold  discovered  that  the 
clothes  of  the  party  were   thickly   covered 
with  dust,  which  they  had  not  perceived  as 
it   fell,  but  which  now  gave  them  trouble 
enough  to  brush  and  shake  off.     From  this  occurrence, 
said  he,  let  us  reap  a  useful  admonition  on  the  subject 


146  DUST. 

of  sin  and  its  properties.  At  the  present  season,  when 
the  weather  is  fine  and  undisturbed  by  showers,  dust 
is  easily  raised,  and  falls  plentifully.  In  like  manner  it 
is,  when  flesh  and  blood  enjoy  fair  weather  and  sun- 
shine, that  sinful  lusts  are  most  apt  to  be  excited,  and 
drop  most  thickly  in  actual  sins. 

As  dust  consists  of  many  minute  particles,  and  falls 
imperceptibly,  so  that  we  scarcely  perceive  until  we 
are  bespread  with  it ;  so  do  many  small  sins  combine 
to  form  a  great  one,  which  is  called  habit  and  security, 
and  is  the  nearest  stage  to  hell. 

As  dust  injures  clothes,  and  sometimes  sticks  so  fast 
that  it  can  by  no  means  be  removed  from  them,  and  as 
no  one  likes  it,  but  labors,  as  we  are  now  doing,  to  brush 
it  off;  even  so  sin  makes  us  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  disreputable  in  that  of  men,  —  so  that  we  ought 
justly  to  take  all  pains  to  purge  our  conscience  and 
amend  our  life. 

No  one  who  travels  in  weather  like  this  can  escape 
the  dust ;  and  just  as  little,  upon  the  pilgrimage  of 
this  transitory  life,  can  any  boast  of  being  unsullied  by 
sin. 

In  fine,  as  the  dust  settles  and  lies  as  quietly  as  if  it 
had  no  existence,  but  is  stirred  and  raised  by  the  slightest 
breath  of  wind ;  so  it  sometimes  seems  as  if  sin  no  lon- 
ger dwelt  within  us,  but  was  vanquished  and  annihilated, 
and  we  freed  from  all  restraint  to  serve  God  in  a  pure 
and  blameless  life.  No  sooner  does  opportunity  occur, 


TEE   SWARM  OF  BEES.  147 

than  sin  makes  its  appearance,  and  we  discover  that  we 
have  much  more  of  the  world  in  our  hearts  than  we 
had  ever  supposed. 

Alas !  Thou  righteous  God,  how  abominable  and  de- 
nied in  Thy  most  holy  sight  are  my  garments  and  walk  ! 
No  doubt,  from  day  to  day  I  brush  the  dust  away ;  but 
ah,  me  !  how  little  good  it  does !  0  my  Father !  forgive 
me,  and  do  Thou  Thyself  cleanse  and  purge  me,  grant- 
ing grace  that  my  walk  may  be  habitually  circumspect, 
and  that,  at  last,  I  may  enter  pure  and  unsullied  into 
Thy  city. 


LXXXVIII. 

SJxrurm  of  i 


SWARM  of  bees  had  flown  from  a  neighbor's 
garden  into  that  of  Gotthold,  and  settled  on  a 
young  tree.  From  this  he  took  occasion  to  ob- 
serve :  These  visitors  cannot  have  come  over  to 
us  for  nothing,  and,  if  we  please  to  reflect, 
they  may  give  us  a  useful  lesson,  and  thereby  pay  for 
their  quarters.  In  my  opinion,  the  device  of  a  swarm 
of  bees  hanging  upon  a  branch,  and  with  the  motto,  "  I 
will  never  forsake  thee,"  would  happily  represent  the 
Christian  Church  and  their  love  to  Jesus.  The  whole 


148  THE  SWARM  OF  'BEES. 

swarm,  as  is  well  known,  is  governed  by  a  monarch,  ex- 
ercising an  authority,  not  of  coercion,  but  love ;  and  so 
strong  is  the  reciprocal  attachment  of  the  little  honey 
birds  to  their  prince,  that  they  quit  the  hive  with  him, 
and  follow  and  never  leave  him.  When  he  flies,  they 
do  the  same ;  when  he  alights,  they  fasten  to  him ;  if 
he  remove,  they  hasten  after  him ;  and  if,  by  some  acci- 
dent, his  wings  be  injured,  and  he  fall  to  the  ground, 
they  fall  upon  and  cover  him,  as  I  have  seen  with  my 
own  eyes. 

It  is  the  same  with  the  church  of  the  saints :  they 
have  one  only  head,  Jesus ;  and  on  Him  their  whole 
heart  is  set,  and  their  whole  soul  depends.  Willingly  and 
cheerfully  they  follow  whithersoever  He  leads.  Their 
common  motto  is,  "  Jesus,  I  will  never  leave  Thee." 
They  are  all  animated  by  His  Spirit,  and  governed  by 
His  love ;  their  very  essence  is  fellowship  with  their 
Lord  and  with  each  other.  Let  us  therefore  endeavor 
to  be  found  in  this  society.  The  whole  of  Christianity 
is  comprised  in  three  things  —  to  believe,  to  love,  and 
to  obey  Jesus.  These  are  things,  however,  which  we 
must  be  learning  all  our  life. 

Alas,  Jesus !  when  shall  my  love  to  Thee  equal  that 
of  the  bees  to  their  king!  Ask  of  me  the  question 
once  asked  of  Peter,1  and  I  must  needs  answer  Thee 
with  sorrow  and  tears ;  for  my  heart  bears  witness  that 
my  love  is  still  so  weak  as  scarcely  to  deserve  the  name. 

1  John  xxi.  26. 


THE   WITHERED    FLOWERS.  149 

I  love  Thee,  it  is  true  ;  but  what  am  I  to  Thee,  or  what 
proportion  does  my  love  bear  to  Thy  deserts  ?  I  have 
but  one  consolation,  that  the  will  is  here.  When  I  say, 
"  I  love  Thee,"  I  say  it  with  sorrow  and  tears ;  but 
when  I  say,  "  I  would  that  I  loved  Thee  with  all  my 
heart,  and  soul,  and  strength,"  I  say  it  with  joy  and 
confidence,  for  I  say  it  with  truth.  Dearest  Saviour! 
pierce  my  heart  with  the  fiery  darts  of  Thy  love ;  force 
Thy  way  into  its  inmost  chambers  ;  sink  into  the  depths 
of  my  soul,  and  let  both  heart  and  soul  blaze  and  swell 
with  love  to  Thee. 


LXXXIX. 


0  T  T  H  0  L  D,  seeing  some  withered  flowers 
strewed  upon  the  table,  thought  with  himself: 
Like  these  are  the  pleasures  and  pomps  of  this 
world,  which  quickly  pass  away,  and  have  no 
stability!  On  further  reflection,  it  seemed  to 
him  that  such  a  flower  might  also  image  forth  a  heart 
exhausted  with  sorrow  and  care,  and  he  exclaimed : 
Alas!  how  many  withered  and  aching  hearts  there 
are  in  these  disastrous  times  !  How  many  pious  Chris- 


150  THE    WITHERED   FLOWERS. 

tians,  who  can  scarcely  stand  erect  for  sorrow,  but 
hang  the  head  like  drooping  flowers!  How  many 
thousand  thousand  tears  are  daily  shed  over  afflicted 
Christendom !  How  many  anxious  sighs  are  wafted  to 
God  in  heaven  !  And  yet  the  wicked  world,  secure 
and  reckless,  gives  no  heed  to  them,  but  wrongs  the 
poor  children  of  God,  and  laughs  the  while,  yea  crushes 
and  vexes  the  hearts  of  Christians  without  remorse. 
But  as  the  vapors  which  ascend  from  the  earth,  descend 
to  it  again  in  rain  and  wind,  thunder  and  lightning, 
even  so  the  mournful  sighs  and  wailings  of  the  godly 
will  one  day  turn  into  fire  and  brimstone,  and  fall 
upon  the  heads  of  their  enemies.  Meanwhile,  ye 
whose  hearts  are  sad  and  heavy,  moderate  your  grief, 
and  be  not  too  greatly  troubled.  God  in  heaven  at- 
tends to  your  tears  and  lamentations.  The  whole 
creation  sighs  in  concert  with  you.  Methinks  I  see 
the  holy  angels  weeping  for  all  the  grief  and  anguish, 
wrongs  and  miseries,  with  which  your  hearts  are  over- 
whelmed. But  God  will  help.  He  will  not  leave  the 
righteous  to  suffer  for  ever.  Lift  up  your  hanging 
head,  and  know  that  your  salvation  draweth  nigh. 
Shall  not  God  avenge  His  own  elect,  which  cry  day 
and  night  unto  Him,  though  He  bear  long  with  them  ? 
I  tell  you  that  He  will  avenge  them  speedily.1  0,  my 
God !  comfort  all  sorrowful  and  troubled  hearts,  and 
then  mine  will  not  be  forgotten. 

l  Luke  xvii  7,  8. 


THE  BEE   MADE   A    PREY.  151 

xc. 

D**  mair*  a 

TAN  DING  one  day  before  a  beehive,  Gotthold 
observed  with  delight  how  the  little  honey  birds 
departed  and  arrived,  and  from  time  to  time  re- 
turned home  laden  with  the  spoils  of  the  flow- 
ers. Meanwhile  a  great  yellow  hornet  —  that 
wolf  among  the  bees  —  came  buzzing  up,  in  eager 
quest  of  a  prey.  As  it  was  eveningtide,  and  the  bees, 
after  the  heat  of  the  day,  had  settled  about  the  mouth 
of  the  hive  to  breathe  the  cool  air,  it  was  amusing  to 
observe  that  their  fierce  adversary  lacked  courage  to 
attack  their  combined  host  and  serried  ranks.  True, 
he  often  advanced  for  the  purpose;  but,  seeing  how 
densely  and  compactly  they  were  sitting,  was  forced  to 
retreat  empty-handed.  At  last,  a  bee,  somewhat  be- 
lated, arrived  by  itself,  and  on  this  straggler  he  instantly 
seized,  fell  with  it  to  the  earth,  and  dealt  with  it  at  his 
pleasure.  Gotthold  thought  with  himself :  How  excel- 
lent a  thing  is  unity  and  concord !  If  this  little  bee, 
which  had  probably  ventured  further,  and  for  that  rea- 
son reached  home  later  than  the  rest,  had  formed  one 
of  the  united  swarm,  it  would  not  have  fallen  into  the 
enemy's  hands.  How.  comes  it,  then,  that  we  men  reflect 
so  little  upon  the  danger  of  discord  ?  Never  are  the 
assaults  of  our  spiritual  foe  so  successful  as  when  he 


152  THE   STUBBORN    TREE. 

finds  us  disunited  by  variance  and  envy.  Behold  how 
good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  to- 
gether in  unity.1  Help  us,  Lord  Jesus,  to  have  the 
same  love,  and  to  be  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind,  en- 
deavoring to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond 
of  peace,2  that  the  God  of  love  and  of  peace  may  be 
with  us,3  and  that  the  infernal  robber  may  gain  no  ad- 
vantage over  us. 


XCI. 

Stubborn 


HE  majority  of  Christians,  proceeded  Gotthold, 
resemble  the  stock  which  strikes  from  below  the 
-^  graft,  wastes  its  sap  upon  wild  branches,  and 
permits  the  adopted  ones  to  wither.  They 
point  their  thoughts  chiefly  to  earthly  things, 
which  efface  Christ  and  heaven  from  their  memories. 
The  love  of  temporal  possessions,  luxury,  pomp  of 
dress,  science,  art,  falsehood,  enmity,  hypocrisy,  and 
other  such  things,  shoot  and  grow  and  gather  strength 
from  day  to  day,  as  any  one  may  see  who  but  looks 
upon  recent  times.  Godliness,  on  the  contrary,  so  far 

l  Psalm  cxxxiii.  1.  2  rial.  ii.  2,  and  Eph.  iv.  3.  32  Cor.  xiii.  11. 


THE   SUN.  153 

from  increasing,  gradually  declines.  The  Lord  Jesus, 
with  His  precious  merits,  saving  Gospel,  and  holy  and 
harmless  life,  is  torn  and  uprooted  from  the  heart,  and 
no  longer  held  in  esteem.1  But  sorrow  and  woe  be  to 
the  Christian  in  whose  heart  Christ  does  not  take  root 
and  grow,  flourish,  and  bear  fruit !  As  a  barren  and 
corrupt  tree,  he  has  nothing  to  expect  but  the  axe  of 
the  Divine  wrath,  and  the  fire  that  is  not  quenched.2 

Lord  Jesus !  cleave  my  heart  with  Thy  law ;  engraft 
Thyself  deep  into  it  by  faith ;  bind  it  fast  to  Thee  by 
love ;  govern  and  change  it  by  Thy  Spirit  and  grace ; 
and  keep  it  by  Thy  power  unto  holy  fruitfulness  here, 
and  eternal  blessedness  hereafter. 


XCII. 

Suit. 


N  a  company  of  pious  persons  the  sun  happened 
to  become  the  subject  of  conversation,  when  one 
^  of  them  observed  :  Day  by  day  God  maketh  His 
sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good.3    But, 
alas  !  the  evil  regard  it  as  little  as  do  the  brutes, 
and  even  the  good  are  far  from  giving  it  the  attention 

1  Dan.  ix.  26.  2  Matt.  iii.  10.  3  Matt.  v.  45. 


154  THE    SUN. 

it  deserves.  Of  those  who  live  beneath  the  sun,  how 
few  there  are  whom  the  sight  of  this  most  glorious  orb 
incites  to  the  praise  and  love  of  its  Almighty  Creator ! 
Seneca  tells  us  of  a  voluptuary,  who  for  a  long  course 
of  years  had  never  seen  either  its  rising  or  its  setting ; 
for  in  the  evening,  when  it  set,  his  eyes  were  already 
closed  with  wine,  and  in  the  morning,  when  it  rose,  he 
had  not  slept  out  his  sleep.  This  person,  methinks, 
might  have  found  many  a  match  in  our  own  days,  and 
even  among  those  who  bear  the  Christian  name.  And 
yet,  how  noble  a  miracle  of  the  omnipotence,  goodness, 
and  wisdom  of  God,  is  the  sun,  and  how  immense  a 
blessing  to  mankind  and  the  whole  visible  creation ! 
In  this  light  the  Saviour  presents  it  to  us  in  the  words 
above  quoted,  designating  it,  not  without  cause,  "  His 
Sun."  Gotthold  thereupon  remarked :  You  have  said 
what  is  true,  but  permit  me  to  add :  The  almighty,  be- 
nign, and  wise  Creator,  has  in  this  marvellous  orb 
stamped  a  magnificent  image  of  Himself.  As  a  philos- 
opher once  observed,  the  sun  is  a  visible  Deity,  and  the 
Deity  a  visible  sun.  Viewed  through  a  powerful  tele- 
scope, it  appears  like  a  vast  and  ever-heaving  ocean  of 
ascending  vapors,  or  like  molten  brass  boiling  in  vast 
caldrons,  and  emitting  smoke  mingled  with  light  and 
fire.  It  is  hence  inferred  that  it  is  not  merely  the 
source  of  natural  light,  but  likewise  the  origin  of  all 
prolific  power,  and,  so  to  speak,  the  heart  of  nature  and 
the  soul  of  the  world.  And  mark,  such  also  is  our 


THE   SUN.  155 

God.  He  is  a  fountain  forever  overflowing  with  good, 
and  good  alone,  —  a  delectable  fire,  forever  burning, — 
a  charming  light,  forever  shining,  —  an  ever-living, 
ever-active  and  prolific  Being,  from  whom  all  tilings 
originally  derive  existence. 


XCIII. 

0ti  tfu  Suit. 


E  T  us,  however,  further  reflect,  that  God's  chil- 
dren ought  likewise  to  be  His  followers,  and  so, 
mortal  deities  and  suns  upon  the  earth.  The 
compassion  of  the  Lord  is  new  every  morning.1 
Every  morning  does  the  sun  rise,  and  rejoice 
to  run  his  course  ;  and  with  the  same  daily  regularity 
ought  the  child  of  God  to  renew  his  purpose  of  minis- 
tering advice  and  succor  to  all  about  him  ;  and,  after 
the  manner  of  his  God,  have  more  readiness  to  give 
than  another  to  receive.  It  is  impossible  for  the  sun  to 
be  without  light,  and  quite  as  impossible  for  a  true 
Christian  to  be  destitute  of  love,  gentleness,  alacrity  to 
serve,  and  the  desire  to  do  good. 

Lord  Jesus  !  Thou  art  the  sun  and  joy  of  my  heart. 
If  there  be  in  me  any  light,  ability,  readiness  of  will, 

1  Lam.  iii  23. 


156  THE    WEED. 

it  is  all  from  Thee.  As  God  sheds  His  light,  and  exerts 
His  influence  through  the  sun,  so  dost  Thou  through 
me.  I.  lay  claim  to  no  goodness  of  my  own ;  but  im- 
plore of  Thee  mercifully  to  forgive  me  for  so  often  ob- 
structing Thine,  and  darkening  Thy  light  with  my 
shadow 


XCIV. 


day  Gotthold  saw  a  nettle  growing  in  a  flower 
border,  and,  on  attempting  to  pull  it  up,  found 
that  he  brought  with  it  a  quantity  of  the  soil, 
of  which,  with  its  many  roots  and  fibres,  it 
had  taken  a  firm  hold.  It  is  the  same,  he 
inwardly  thought,  with  our  conversion.  Where  God 
would  extirpate  the  plant  of  sin  from  our  hearts,  alas  ! 
how  strong  the  hold  it  has  taken  !  and  with  how  many 
roots  of  evil  concupiscence  it  has  fastened  and  entwined 
itself  on  every  side  !  The  consequence  is  inevitable  — 
part  of  the  heart  must  come  with  it  ;  by  which  I  mean, 
that  it  cannot  be  torn  up  without  pain,  anguish,  and 
sorrow.  But  what  does  that  matter?  Weeds  which 
are  only  removed  from  the  surface,  shoot  again  ;  and 
unless  they  are  thoroughly  extirpated,  it  is  not  safe  to 


THE  DOUBLE  FLOWERS.  157 

plant  flowers  or  herbs  in  their  place.  Yain,  therefore, 
is  the  attempt  to  make  ourselves  good  by  a  forced  and 
unsteady  resolution,  while  we  retain  the  love  of  evil  in 
our  breast ;  for  that  is  only  waiting  a  favorable  season 
and  opportunity  to  shoot  afresh. 

My  God !  do  Thou  Thyself  extirpate  the  root  of  bit- 
terness from  my  heart !  Use  any  means  which  seems 
good  in  Thy  sight  for  this  purpose ;  it  may  wound  the 
sinful  flesh,  but  better  temporal  than  eternal  pain. 


xcv. 
g0aible  J 


EING  in  a  garden,  Gotthold  was  shown  some 
blue  and  yellow  violets  which  were  bearing 
double  flowers,  and  were  therefore  regarded 
as  something  rare.  He  remarked,  however, 
that  in  proportion  as  they  had  gained  in  show, 
they  had  lost  in  fragrance,  as  compared  with  the  single, 
and  began:  How  comes  it  to  pass  that  generally  the 
most  showy  and  pompous  plants  are  surpassed  in  other 
qualities  by  the  more  humble  and  unpretending  ?  The 
roses,  which,  on  account  of  their  numerous  petals,  are 
called  centifoils,  are  no  doubt  beautiful  to  the  eye,  but 


158  THE  DOUBLE  FLO  WEES. 

are  excelled  in  fragrance  by  those  which  have  much 
fewer.  Some  prefer  the  water  obtained  from  the  wild 
rose  to  that  which  is  distilled  from  the  best  of  the  cen- 
tifoils ;  and  every  one  knows  that  the  proud  imperial 
crown  and  gaudy  tulip  are  far  less  fragrant  than  the 
violet,  and  many  of  its  sister  plants  that  creep  upon 
the  ground.  The  same  rule  obtains  among  men. 
Where  there  is  much  show,  there  is  never  much 
power ;  where  great  consequence  in  the  world's  eyes, 
very  little  in  God's.  Nay  (and  this  I  would  not  dare 
to  affirm,  were  it  not  declared  by  Him  whom  no  man 
may  gainsay),  that  which  is  highly  esteemed  among 
men,  is  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God.1  Those  men 
who  are  great  and  eminent  for  their  learning  and  wis- 
dom, their  superior  talents,  vast  fortunes,  and  lofty 
honors,  are  too  often,  like  these  double  flowers,  des- 
titute of  the  fragrance  of  godliness,  and  the  strength 
of  love.  For  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not 
many  mighty,  not  many  noble  are  called ;  but  the  fool- 
ish, and  base,  and  despised  things  of  this  world,  are 
those  which  God  hath  chosen.2  How  comes  it,  then, 
that  we  are  all  so  anxious  to  be  great,  and  rich,  and 
honorable,  though  God  is  pleased  to  show  forth  His 
power  in  the  meek,  and  poor,  and  humble  ?  Better 
be  humble  and  bear  much  fruit,  than  exalted  and 
bear  none.  My  God,  I  ask  not  of  Thee  the  leaves 
of  external  consequence;  I  will  be  content  to  con- 

1  Luke  xv.  16.  2  1  Cor.  i.  26. 


THE  PIKE.  159 

tinue  simple,  lowly,  and  plain,  if  Thou  wilt  only  give 
me  grace  to  serve  Thee  and  my  neighbor.  Outward 
pomp  withers  like  a  flower,  but  inward  worth  lasts  even 
after  death. 


XCYI. 


TROLLING  along  the  banks  of  a  pond,  Gott- 
hold  observed  a  pike  basking  in  the  sun,  and  so 
pleased  with  the  sweet  and  soothing  rays  as  to 
forget  itself  and  the  danger  to  which  it  was  ex- 
posed. Thereupon  a  boy  approached,  and  with 
a  snare  formed  of  horse  hair,  and  fastened  to  the  end 
of  a  rod,  which  he  skilfully  cast  over  its  head,  pulled 
it  in  an  instant  out  of  the  water.  Ah,  me  !  said  Gott- 
hold,  with  a  deep  sigh,  how  evidently  do  I  here  behold 
shadowed  forth  the  danger  of  my  poor  soul!  When 
the  beams  of  temporal  prosperity  play  upon  us  to  our 
heart's  desire,  so  grateful  are  they  to  corrupt  flesh  and 
blood,  that,  immersed  in  sordid  pleasure,  luxury,  and 
security,  we  lose  all  sense  of  spiritual  danger,  and  all 
thought  of  eternity.  In  this  state  many  are,  in  fact, 
suddenly  snatched  away,  to  the  eternal  ruin  of  their 
souls. 

11 


160  THE    VINE. 

0,  my  God !  vouchsafe  to  me  Thy  grace,  that  I  may 
learn  to  rejoice  as  though  I  rejoiced  not,  and  buy  as 
though  I  possessed  not,  and  use  this  world  as  not  abus- 
ing it,  for  the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away.1  In 
the  midst  of  pleasures  and  enjoyments,  let  me  still  feel, 
like  the  Psalmist,  that  the  best  of  all  is  to  draw  near 
unto  Thee ; 2  and  may  I  never  forget  Thy  fear.  Break, 
also,  the  snares  with  which  Satan  endeavors  to  make  a 
prey  of  my  soul,  but  which,  in  my  misery,  I  cannot 
see ;  and  for  this  I  shall  laud  and  praise  Thee  in 
eternity. 


XCVII. 


sl  SITING  a  person  who  was  in  deep  affliction 
and  sorrow,  Gotthold  was  told  by  the  family 
that  he  was  in  the  garden.  Thither  he  followed, 
and  found  him  employed  in  clearing  a  vine  of 
its  superfluous  leaves.  After  a  friendly  salute, 
he  inquired  what  he  was  doing.  "  I  find,"  was  the  re- 
ply, "  that,  owing  to  the  abundant  rain,  this  vine  is 
overgrown  with  wood  and  leaves,  which  prevents  the 

1  1  Cor.  vii.  30,  31.  Psalm  Ixxiii.  28. 


THE  .VINE.  161 

sun  from  reaching  and  ripening  the  grapes.  I  am 
therefore  pruning  part  of  them  away,  that  it  may  bring 
its  fruit  to  maturity."  Gotthold  rejoined  :  And  do  you 
find  that  in  this  operation  the  vine  resists  and  opposes 
you  ?  If  not,  why  are  you  displeased  that  a  gracious 
God  should  do  to  you  what  your  vine  must  not  be  dis- 
pleased that  you  do  to  it  ?  You  prune  off  the  superflu- 
ous foliage  in  order  that  it  may  bear  the  better  fruit ; 
and  God  takes  away  your  temporal  blessings  and 
earthly  comforts,  in  order  that  faith  may  produce  its 
noble  fruits  of  love,  humility,  patience,  hope,  and 
prayer,  and  these  larger,  and  fairer,  and  sweeter  than 
before.  Let  them  talk  as  they  please:  When  a  man 
has  a  superfluity  of  all  things,  and  is  a  total  stranger 
to  the  cross,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  with  its  gracious 
rays,  can  scarcely  reach  the  heart ;  and  hence  his  Chris- 
tianity usually  bears  only  the  harsh  and  acrid  fruits  of 
hypocrisy,  pride,  unkindness,  and  implacability.  Let 
God,  therefore,  do  with  you  as  He  will ;  He  will  do  you 
no  harm.  You  are  now  stripping  the  vine  of  its  leaves ; 
in  spring  you  hoed  it,  planted  layers,  pruned  the  suck- 
ers, and  bound  the  branches.  My  friend,  you  are  your- 
self a  branch  on  the  spiritual  Vine,  which  is  the  Lord 
Jesus.  God  is  the  dresser,  and  He  well  knows  that, 
without  His  grace  and  care,  He  can  look  for  no  good  at 
your  hands.  This  is  the  reason  why  He  employs  con- 
tempt to  lay  you  in  the  earth,  trials  to  prune,  affliction 
to  restrain,  and  poverty  to  strip  you  of  your  leaves. 


162  THE  BURNING-GLASS. 

He  intends  it  all  to  make  His  grace  sweeter  to  you,  and 
your  heart  sweeter  to  Him. 

0  my  God !  withdraw  not  from  me  Thy  care,  other- 
wise I  shall  grow  wild  and  corrupt.  Prune,  bind,  and 
strip  me  as  Thou  wilt ;  my  comfort  shall  be,  that  Thou 
canst  never  mean  it  for  evil. 


XCVIII. 


0  T  T  H  0  L  D  was  present  where  a  party  of 
friends  were  amusing  themselves  with  an  artifi- 
cially-cut glass,  which  concentrated  the  rays 
of  the  sun,  and  so  not  only  exploded  powder, 
but  kindled  straw,  and  even  cloth  and  hardwood.  Let 
this,  said  he,  remind  us,  for  our  good,  of  opportunity  to 
sin  ;  for  that  is  a  means  by  which  many  a  cold  log  (I 
mean  heart)  has  been  set  on  fire  and  excited  to  its  ruin. 
Our  eyes,  which  in  many  respects  resemble  this  instru- 
ment, are  sometimes  justly  called  the  heart's  burning- 
glass,  because  they  catch  the  opportunities  to  sin,  and 
thereby  infect  the  heart,  and  give  occasion  to  carry  vi- 
cious inclinations  into  effect.  This  was  the  case  even 
in  Paradise.  For  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree  was  good 
for  food,  and  pleasant  to  the  eyes  ;  and  she  took  of  the 


THE  GRAFTS.  163 

fruit  thereof,  and  did  eat.1  The  same  thing  likewise 
happened  to  King  David  when  he  beheld  Bathsheba  in 
the  bath : 2  and  if  the  wife  of  Potiphar  had  closed  these 
windows,  passion  would  never  have  gained  the  mastery 
in  her  breast.3  If,  therefore,  you  would  avoid  sin,  avoid 
all  opportunities  of  committing  it ;  and  as  this  glass 
cannot  burn  unless  it  be  kept  still  and  motionless,  so 
the  moment  you  find  your  eyes  fixed  on  an  opportunity 
of  sinning,  recollect  the  danger  to  which  your  heart  is 
exposed,  and  escape  with  the  utmost  speed  from  the 
ruin  threatening  your  soul. 

My  God !  take  me  under  Thy  protection,  and  grant 
that  my  eyes  may  never  lust,  and  so  may  never  mislead 
my  heart,  nor  set  it  on  fire  with  sinful  passion. 


XCIX. 

&  (Srafis, 


'NSPECTING  some  young  grafts  on  the  stock  of 
a  fruit  tree,  which  were  shown  him  by  a  friend, 
and  which  had  grown  with  extraordinary  vigor, 
and  reached  in  a  short  time  to  a  great  height, 
Gotthold  observed  :   This  also  is  one  of  the 
miracles  of  nature,  which  we  have  daily  before  our 

1  Gen.  iii.  6.  22  Sam.  xi.  2.  3  Gen.  xxxix.  7. 


164  THE  GRAFTS. 

eyes,  but  seldom  contemplate  or  improve  to  our  edifica- 
tion. A  wild  stock  has  all  its  branches  pruned  away, 
and  is  hewn  down  to  a  span's  length.  It  is  then  split, 
has  foreign  shoots  inserted  into  it,  and  is  afterwards 
bound ;  and  not  only  does  it  adopt  the  strange  shoots, 
and  nourish  them  with  its  sap  and  vigor,  but  even  per- 
mits them  to  gain  the  mastery  so  far  as  to  make  it  for- 
get its  wildness,  and  bear  beautiful  and  delicious  fruit. 
Now,  I  say  that  of  that  fruit  we  are  not  worthy  to  taste, 
if  we  do  not  here  gratefully  acknowledge  the  marvel- 
lous goodness  of  God,  and  take  occasion  to  draw  some 
reflections  that  may  make  us  better  Christians.  Our 
heart  is  a  wild  and  untamed  stock,  which  God  plants  in 
the  garden  of  his  Church,  hews  down,  and,  by  repen- 
tance, reduces  to  despair  of  its  own  faculties  and  pow- 
ers. He  then  engrafts  into  it  Christ  Jesus,  his  beloved 
son  —  that  noble  Branch  from  the  root  of  Jesse,1  that 
through  Him  we  may  be  filled  with  the  fruits  of  right- 
eousness,2 and  called  trees  of  righteousness,  the  plant- 
ing of  the  Lord,  that  He  may  by  glorified.3  Let  us 
therefore  see  well  to  it,  that  neither  presumptuous  sins, 
nor  the  temptations  of  Satan  or  the  world,  be  ever  per- 
mitted to  break  off  or  uproot  this  noble  shoot  from  our 
hearts.  Let  us,  by  diligent  reflection  and  self-examina- 
tion, ascertain  that  Christianity  is  growing  within  us, — 
in  other  words,  that  our  faith,  charity,  patience,  and 
godliness,  are  on  the  increase. 

l  Isaiah  xi.  1.  2  Phil.  i.  11.  3  Isaiah  Ixi.  3. 


THE    ORPHANS. 


165 


C. 


GOOD  man  had  died  in  the  bloom  of  life,  leav- 
ing behind  him  several  infant  children.  The 
plentiful  tears  of  the  widow  went  deep  into 
Gotthold's  heart,  nor  less  the  simple  sorrow  of 
the  orphans,  who  were  all  the  more  objects  of 
pity  that  they  did  not  understand  the  cause  they  had 
to  weep.  He  too  sighed,  and,  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
exclaimed :  Thou  marvellous  God  !  how  contrary  are 
Thy  doings  to  what  seem  good  to  us !  Is  not  this  dis- 
consolate widow  like  a  vine  whose  prop  the  wind  has 
taken  away  and  levelled  with  the  earth  ?  What  better 
is  her  household  than  a  low  hedge,  which  every  one 
will  think  himself  at  liberty  to  overstep  ?  What  else 
the  young  orphans  but  flowers  growing  in  the  wild  for- 
est, and  on  which  all  the  beasts  will  trample?  But 
pardon  me,  Thou  faithful  God !  that,  from  tender  com- 
passion to  these  disconsolate  mourners,  I  venture  to 
speak  thus  boldly  with  Thee.  Thou  must  respect  Thy 
name,  and  have  opportunity  to  show  that  Thou  art  the 
Father  of  the  fatherless,  and  the  Judge  of  the  widows.1 
Show  it  then,  here.  Thy  counsel  is  always  best.  The 
gardener  does  not  scruple  to  hew  down  the  old  tree, 


l  Tsalm  Ixviii.  5. 


166  SOUL    VENDEES. 

that  the  young  ones  growing  around,  but  which  were 
previously  injured  by  its  shade,  may  have  room  to 
thrive.  Even  so  the  life  of  parents  would  often  prove 
their  children's  ruin.  But  when  the  shade  is  removed, 
there  is  nothing  save  the  open  heaven  above  their 
heads ;  and  so  they  learn  to  fear,  and  to  put  their  trust 
in  Thee,  and  from  Thee  alone  to  expect  blessing,  pro- 
tection, and  defence.  Heavenly  Father  !  Thou  wilt,  no 
doubt,  do  more  for  these  orphans  than  their  earthly  pa- 
rent, with  all  his  affection,  could  ever  have  accom- 
plished. Yes,  my  God,  in  them,  and  in  their  much 
afflicted  mother,  glorify  now  Thy  name  ! 


01. 


T  fairs,  said  Gotthold,  all  sorts  of  wares,  even 
men  and  their  souls,  are  exposed  for  sale.  Nay, 
what  is  of  all  things  the  most  strange,  there  are 
many  who  will  sell  their  souls  for  less  than  they 
will  any  other  commodity.  The  traitor  Judas 
consented  to  sell  his  Lord  and  Master  for  thirty  pieces 
of  silver.  Rightly  viewed,  it  was  his  own  soul  which 
he  sold  ;  and,  compared  with  the  present  world,  the 


SOUL    VENDERS.  167 

price  which  the  miserable  man  obtained  was  not  incon- 
siderable. For,  as  I  believe,  there  are  many  who,  to 
gain  or  put  into  their  purse  thirty  pieces  of  silver, 
would,  if  it  were  possible,  sell  their  souls  thirty  times 
over.  If  you  doubt  this,  reflect  that  as  often  as  a  man 
possesses  himself  of  any  object  by  unjust  and  ungodly 
means,  he  burdens  his  conscience,  sins  against  his  God, 
and,  as  far  as  he  can,  virtually  sells  his  poor  soul  for 
base  lucre.  Miserable  creatures  that  we  are !  how 
comes  it  to  pass  that  in  worldly  traffic  we  weigh  and 
measure  so  correctly,  and  show  ourselves  so  shrewd 
and  prudent,  but  never  think  of  weighing  temporal 
things  with  eternal,  or  measuring  transitory  gains  with 
everlasting  losses,  and  in  matters  which  concern  our 
salvation,  are  as  stupid  as  the  brutes  ?  Were  I  to  ask 
an  unrighteous  man  to  sell  his  heart,  he  would  instantly 
reply  in  the  negative ;  and  though  I  were  to  offer  for  it 
a  hundred  thousand  ducats,  he  would  still  insist  that 
he  was  not  so  great  a  fool  as  to  part  with  his  heart  for 
money,  inasmuch  as,  without  a  heart,  he  could  not  live, 
and  without  life  money  would  be  useless.  0,  fellow- 
man  !  if  temporal  life  be  too  precious  to  be  sold  for 
gold,  why  for  gold  do  you  part  with  your  soul  and  life 
eternal  ?  Why  do  you  reckon  that  so  worthless  which 
appears  to  God  of  such  inestimable  value,  that  He  con- 
sented to  redeem  it  with  the  blood  of  His  only  and 
well-beloved  Son  ?  I,  for  my  part,  agree  witli  the  holy 
apostle,  who  says :  Godliness,  with  contentment,  is  great 


168  THE  INCOGNITO. 

gain  :  for  we  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  and  it  is 
certain  we  can  carry  nothing  out ;  and  having  food  and 
raiment,  let  us  therewith  be  content. 


Oil. 


'EAVENLY  Father,  proceeded  Gotthold,  Thy 
prophet  declares  that  blessed  is  the  man  that 
considereth  the  poor.1  One  would  imagine  that 
little  consideration  is  necessary,  when  we  see 
before  us  the  sufferer's  misery.  The  world 
rushes  past,  and  thinks,  Who  knows  what  a  vagabond 
he  is  ?  Who  knows  but  he  has  brought  all  this  wretch- 
edness upon  his  own  head  ?  I,  however,  know  that  the 
great  and  mighty  have  sometimes  disguised  themselves 
in  mean  attire,  in  order  to  discover  the  true  character 
of  their  dependents  ;  I  know,  too,  that  my  Sovereign, 
Jesus,  conceals  himself  beneath  the  beggar's  cloak, 
that  He  may  put  my  heart  to  the  test,  and  ascertain 
whether  He  or  money  is  dearer  to  it.  No,  no,  my 
Saviour,  Thou  must  not  thus  pass  me  by  ;  disguise 
Thyself  as  Thou  wilt,  I  still  recognize  Thee.  I  thank 
Thee  for  having  now  deemed  me  worthy  to  knock  at 
my  door,  and  apply  to  me  for  relief.  I  will  take  to 

l  Psalm  xli.  2. 


THE  BROOK.  169 

heart  the  penury  of  this  forsaken  beggar,  and  relieve 
him  to  the  utmost  of  my  means.  Ah,  my  Saviour! 
vouchsafe  to  me  not  only  to  do,  but  also  to  will;1  and 
grant  that  my  poor  doing  and  willing  may  be  merci- 
fully accepted  of  Thee.  This  time  it  is  Thou  who 
comest  before  my  door ;  ere  long  it  will  be  my  turn 
to  knock  at  Thine.  Oh,  never  let  me  find  the  door  of 
mercy  or  heaven  shut  against  me  ! 


CIII. 


ETURNING  from  the  fields,  a  party  of  labor- 
ers one  evening  seated  themselves  beside  a  little 
brook,  and  not  only  drank  of  its  fresh  and 
cooling  water,  but  used  it  to  wash  off  the 
'  sweat  and  dust  from  their  persons.  Gotthold, 
seeing  them  as  he  passed,  thought  with  himself:  My 
God,  how  sweet  and  pleasant  to  me  is  the  pure  stream 
of  Thy  goodness,  which  this  brook  adumbrates  to  my 
view  !  However  circumspect  I  may  suppose  my  walk 
during  the  day  to  have  been,  I  yet  cannot  wholly  avoid 
contracting  various  defilements  ;  and  these  I  always 
see  best  when  evening  brings  leisure  for  meditation, 
and  I  examine  what  the  work  of  the  day  has  been. 

l  Phil.  ii.  13. 


170  THE  BAD    CROP. 

But  the  stream  of  Thy  heart-refreshing  grace  is  then 
my  resort.  In  it  I  wash  and  cleanse  away  my  sins, 
and  find  solace  and  refreshment  for  my  weary  soul. 
And  as  this  brook  not  merely  washes  off  impurities, 
but  overwhelms  them,  so  that  they  can  no  longer  be 
found,  even  so  Thy  divine  mercy,  and  the  stream  of 
my  Saviour's  blood,  not  only  purge  away,  but  extin- 
guish my  sins,  sweeping  them  into  the  depths  of  the 
sea,  where  through  all  eternity  they  shall  be  remem- 
bered no  more. 

Lord  Jesus,  Thou  fountain  of  life !  Thy  grace  is  my 
consolation,  Thy  overflowing  goodness  fresh  water  to 
my  troubled  heart.  Would  that  I  had  as  many  tongues 
as  there  are  drops  in  this  stream !  Their  only  work 
should  be  to  extol  Thine  incomprehensible  love  and 
goodness. 


CIV. 


WING  to  the  severe  drought,  and  long  want  of 
rain,  the  crop  (in  1661)  was  very  deficient,  es- 
pecially in  the   early  kinds   of  grain  ;    the 
greater  part  of  which,  being  scarce  half  a 
span  in  length,  could  not  be  mown,  and,  hav- 
ing been  scorched  and  destroyed,  was  besides  cornless. 


THE  BAD    CROP.  171 

This  gave  rise  to  general  complaints,  both  among  town 
and  country  people,  so  that  two  men  rarely  met  with- 
out manifesting  their  despondency,  and  expressing 
themselves  in  most  unbecoming  terms.  Gotthold 
thereupon  observed:  I  am  now  sensible  of  the  truth 
of  the  proverb,  which  says,  that  if  God  were  to  be 
so  complacent  as  to  carry  us  on  His  back  to  Rome, 
we  would  not  thank  Him  for  His  pains,  if  He  did 
not  also  set  us  down  upon  an  easy-chair.  How  comes 
it  to  pass  that,  in  the  present  dearth,  there  are  so  few 
who  thankfully  reflect  upon  the  rich  and  plentiful  sea- 
sons of  which  we  have  had  so  long  a  succession  ?  I 
cannot  recollect  of  having  then  heard  nearly  so  much 
praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the  abundance  of  the  Di- 
vine blessing,  as  I  now  hear  complaints  on  account 
of  its  deficiency.  It  really  is  a  serious  fault  to  reckon 
the  blessings  of  God  so  small,  and  His  punishments 
so  great  and  so  far  above  our  deserts;  whereas  it  is 
His  goodness  and  our  sins  which  exceed  all  weight 
and  number,  while  His  punishments  and  our  deserts 
are  exceedingly  small.  Only  compute,  I  beseech  you, 
and  you  will  soon  find  that  the  abundance  of  former 
seasons  would  have  more  than  sufficed  to  compensate 
for  the  deficiency  of  the  present,  if  we  had  only  dealt 
prudently,  and  not  squandered  it  with  so  lavish  a  hand. 
Weigh,  likewise,  the  magnitude  of  our  sin  and  giiilt  on 
the  one  hand,  and  God's  right  and  power  to  punish  us 
on  the  other ;  and  who  can  deny  that,  were  He  to  cause 


172  THE    ORANGE    TREE. 

the  harvest  to  misgive,  and  the  grain  to  wither,  not  only 
for  one,  but  every  season,  thus  leaving  us  to  pine  for 
hunger,  so  far  from  wronging,  He  would  only  treat  us 
as  we  have  justly  merited.  Let  us  also  reflect,  for  our 
comfort,  that  it  is  no  difficult  matter  for  Almighty  God, 
who  pardons  the  sins  of  the  penitent,  also  to  swell  the 
little  stores  of  the  faithful,  and  even  in  the  midst  of 
dearth  to  satisfy  them  abundantly.  0  my  God,  Thou 
kind  and  gracious  Master !  give  me,  above  all  things,  a 
heart  easily  contented,  and  able  either  to  be  poor  or  to 
be  hungry,  to  abound  or  to  suffer  need. 


CV. 

©rattp  Cm. 


N  the  garden  of  a  man  of  rank,  Gotthold  was 
shown  a  young  orange  tree  bearing  fruit,  part  of 
which  was  almost  ripe,  and  part  still  small  and 
green.  He  was  told  that  in  warm  countries,  such 
as  Spain  and  Italy,  where  it  attains  to  its  full 
height  and  perfection,  the  orange  tree  is  found,  so  to 
speak,  continually  serving  man  ;  inasmuch  as,  at  one 
and  the  same  time,  ripe  fruit,  and  half-ripe  fruit,  and 


THE    ORANGE  TREE.  173 

even  blossom,  may  all  be  seen  upon  it.  He  thereupon 
replied :  It  would  be  the  same  with  our  common  apple 
and  pear  trees,  were  it  not  for  the  severity  of  the  cold 
in  winter.  In  spring,  when  they  burst  the  bud,  and 
are  gradually  adorned  by  nature  with  leaves  and  flow- 
ers and  fruit,  you  may  already  discover  the  leaf  and 
fruit  buds  with  which  they  intend  to  gain  our  love  and 
admiration  in  the  year  to  come.  In  harvest,  too,  when 
the  foliage  drops  off,  these  remain  as  the  hope  of  the 
following  summer,  and  can  be  recognized  and  distin- 
guished by  the  skilful  gardener.  From  the  inanimate 
creatures  let  us  learn  our  duty.  Nature  continues  in 
incessant  action ;  and  having  once  received  from  her 
omnipotent  Creator  the  command  to  minister  to  man 
with  her  fertility,  she  never  pauses,  but  works,  germi- 
nates, and  produces  iti  succession,  leaves,  flowers,  and 
fruits,  to  the  utmost  of  her  ability.  And  why  should 
not  we  do  the  same,  seeing  that  God  has  not  only  made 
and  planted,  but  even  watered  us  with  the  blood  and 
Spirit  of  His  dear  Son,  to  the  end  that  we  may  bear 
fruits  of  love  and  gratitude  both  to  Him  and  our  neigh- 
bor ?  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  all  the  plants  of 
righteousness  which  He  has  planted  there  is  an  ever- 
active,  forcing,  and  prolific  power ;  for,  in  the  remark- 
able words  of  the  apostle,  As  many  as  are  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God  ; l  and  again, 
The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us.2  When  they  have 

1  Rom.  viii.  14.  2  2  Cor.  v.  14. 


174  THE  DISMANTLED   HOUSE. 

performed  one  work  of  love,  or  borne  one  fruit  of  right- 
eousness to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  service  of  the 
brethren,  they  are  already  in  spirit  bearing  fresh  blos- 
soms and  pondering  on  others.  Be  it  summer  or  win- 
ter, never  do  you  find  them  without  good  fruit,  or  at 
least  never  without  blossoms,  leaves,  and  fruit-buds  ; 
by  which  I  mean,  holy  and  sincere  desires  and  resolu- 
tions to  advance  God's  glory,  and  be  serviceable  to 
mankind.  They  are  partakers  of  the  Divine  nature,1 
and  have  the  spirit  and  the  mind  of  Christ.2 

Jesus,  my  Lord !  without  Thee  we  can  do  nothing. 
Abide  Thou  in  me,  and  I  in  Thee,3  and  then  never  shall 
I  want  either  fruitfulness  or  fruit. 


CVI. 


APPENING  one  day  to   pass   a  house,  from 
which  war  and  pestilence  had  swept  away  the 
inmates,  whose  roof  and  partitions  had  after- 
wards  fallen,  and  which  was  now  tottering  to 
'         its  ruin :   Here,  said  Gotthold,  we  behold  the 
fruits  of  our  sins,  which  are  what  empty  cities  of  their 
populations,  and  houses  of  their  inhabitants.4    And  it 

l  2  Peter  i.  6.  21  Cor.  ii.  16  3  John  xv.  5.  •*  Isaiah  vi  11. 


THE   DISMANTLED    HOUSE.  175 

is  no  wonder  that  God  chases  and  expels  us  from  our 
mansions,  when  we  refuse  to  have  Him  for  our  fellow- 
lodger,  and  make  screens  of  our  walls,  behind  which  to 
sin,  as  we  fancy,  in  security.  The  spectacle  of  this 
house,  forsaken  by  man,  and  falling  into  ruin,  shall 
now  remind  me  of  the  wretchedness  of  that  soul  which, 
persevering  in  a  course  of  sin  and  impenitence,  God  in 
righteous  judgment  forsakes.  It  is  the  haunt  of  the 
foul  birds  of  night  and  hell,  which  fly  in  and  out  at 
their  pleasure.  All  about  it  is  crumbling  to  pieces, 
and  preparing  for  everlasting  destruction.  The  worst 
punishment  which  can  be  inflicted  upon  man  in  this 
present  life,  is  when  God  withdraws  from  him  the  hand 
of  grace,  gives  him  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,  and  per- 
mits him  to  walk  according  to  the  inclinations  of  his 
wicked  heart.  In  that  case,  Satan  has  gained  the  game, 
and  bridles  and  saddles  the  steed  to  ride  it  at  his  pleas- 
ure. The  man  becomes  a  ball,  which  the  devils  toss 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  plunge  out  of  one  sin  into 
another.  His  mind  is  a  forge,  in  which  infernal  spirits 
manufacture  the  works  and  weapons  of  darkness.  I 
now  understand  what  is  meant  when  the  Lord  our  God 
exclaims:  Woe  to  them  when  I  depart  from  them.1 
And  again  :  I  have  taken  away  my  peace  from  this  peo- 
ple, even  loving-kindness  and  mercies.2  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  difference  between  this  house  and  a  profligate 
given  over  to  the  power  of  hell :  the  one  exhibits  its 

l  Hosea  ix.  12.  2  Jeremiah  xvi.  5. 

12 


176  MAN  AND   HIS   SAVIOUR. 

miserable  condition  to  the  view  of  all  who  pass,  whereas 
the  spiritual  wretchedness  and  ruin  of  the  other  are 
often  disguised  by  temporal  prosperity,  and  the  success 
of  his  licentious  projects.  The  "danger  is,  however,  all 
the  greater,  the  more  it  escapes  the  notice  both  of  him- 
self and  others. 

Leave  me  not,  then,  neither  forsake  me,  0  God  of  my 
salvation  ! l  Cast  me  not  away  from  Thy  presence,  and 
take  not  Thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me.2  Let  me  not  have 
my  own  will ;  withdraw  not  from  me  Thy  watchful  care. 
Let  my  soul  continue  at  all  times  the  habitation  of  Thy 
Spirit.  I  would  rather  be  deserted  by  the  world,  by 
health,  by  honor,  by  pleasure,  by  earthly  blessings,  by 
friends,  by  all,  than  by  Thee  and  Thy  grace. 


CVII. 

Htsti  antr  jris 

HAT  think  you  of  our  need  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  ?  said  Gotthold.  For  my  part,  my  soul 
is  like  a  hungry  and  thirsty  child,  and  I  need 
His  love  and  consolations  for  my  refreshment ; 
I  am  a  wandering  and  lost  sheep,  and  I  need 
Him  as  a  good  and  faithful  Shepherd ;  my  soul  is  like  a 

l  Psalm  xxvii  9.  2  Psalm  li  11. 


MAN  AND    HIS   SAVIOUR.  177 

frightened  dove  pursued  by  the  hawk,  and  I  need  His 
wounds  for  a  refuge ;  I  am  a  feeble  vine,  and  I  need 
His  cross  to  lay  hold  of  and  wind  myself  about ;  I  am 
a  sinner,  and  I  need  His  righteousness  ;  I  am  naked  and 
bare,  and  need  His  holiness  and  innocence  for  a  cover- 
ing ;  I  am  in  trouble  and  alarm,  and  I  need  His  solace ; 
I  am  ignorant,  and  I  need  His  teaching ;  simple  and 
foolish,  and  I  need  the  guidance  of  His  Holy  Spirit. 
In  no  situation,  and  at  no  time,  can  I  do  without  Him. 
Do  I  pray  ?  He  must  prompt  and  intercede  for  me. 
Am  I  arraigned  by  Satan  at  the  Divine  tribunal  ?  He 
must  be  my  Advocate.  Am  I  in  affliction  ?  He  must 
be  my  helper.  Am  I  persecuted  by  the  world?  He 
must  defend  me.  When  I  am  forsaken,  He  must  be 
my  support ;  when  dying,  my  life ;  when  mouldering  in 
the  grave,  my  resurrection.  Well,  then,  I  will  rather 
part  with  all  the  world,  and  all  that  it  contains,  than 
with  Thee,  my  Saviour;  and,  God  be  thanked !  I  know 
that  Thou,  too,  art  neither  able  nor  willing  to  do  without 
me.  Thou  art  rich,  and  I  am  poor ;  Thou  hast  abun- 
dance, and  I  am  needy ;  Thou  hast  righteousness,  and 
I  sins ;  Thou  hast  wine  and  oil,  and  I  wounds ;  Thou 
hast  cordials  and  refreshments,  and  I  hunger  and  thirst. 
Use  me  then,  my  Saviour,  for  whatever  purpose  and  in 
whatever  way  Thou  mayest  require.  Here  is  my  poor 
heart,  an  empty  vessel ;  fill  it  with  Thy  grace.  Here  is 
my  sinful  and  troubled  soul ;  quicken  and  refresh  it 
with  Thy  love.  Take  my  heart  for  Thine  abode ;  my 


178  THE  PEARL    NECKLACE. 

mouth,  to  spread  the  glory  of  Thy  name  ;  my  love,  and 
all  my  powers,  for  the  advancement  of  Thy  honor  and 
the  service  of  Thy  believing  people.  And  never  suffer 
the  steadfastness  and  confidence  of  my  faith  to  abate, 
that  so  at  all  times  I  may  be  enabled  from  the  heart  to 
say :  Jesus  needs  me,  and  I  Him  ;  and  so  we  suit  each 
other. 


CVIII. 


COSTLY  pearl  necklace,  just  purchased  for  a 
young  lady,  was  shown  to  Gotthold,  and  led 
him  to.  say  :  In  these  days  little  attention  is 
paid  to  the  admonition  of  the  holy  apostle, 
who  requires  that  women  adorn  themselves  in 
modest  apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and  sobriety  ; 
not  with  broidered  hair,  or  gold,  or  pearls,  or  costly 
array.1  No  female  now  abstains  from  wearing  pearls, 
but  she  who  has  neither  pearls  to  wear,  nor  money  to 
buy  them.  And,  considering  the  natural  love  of  the 
sex  for  ornament,  this  might  be  allowed,  under  the  con- 
dition that  no  lady  should  be  entitled  to  wear  pearls 
unless  she  could  either  make  or  take  from  them  a  sub- 
ject of  holy  meditation.  For  example  :  the  pearl,  as 

1  1  Timothy  ii.  !>. 


THE  PEARL   NECKLACE.  179 

most  naturalists  inform  us,  is  the  product  of  the  dew  of 
heaven ;  for,  when  the  oyster  sees  the  weather  bright 
and  clear,  it  is  said  to  open  its  shells  at  the  early  dawn, 
while  the  dew  is  falling,  and  greedily  to  drink  in  the 
silver  drops,  which  petrify  within  it,  and  afterwards,  by 
their  white  and  snowy  lustre,  betray  their  celestial  ori- 
gin. In  the  same  way  ought  our  hearts  to  be  eager 
and  open  to  imbibe  the  dew  of  heavenly  grace,  when  it 
drops  at  the  preaching  of  the  word. 


CIX, 

gl^tritatbit  on 


/j}ROCEEDING,  Gotthold  remarked:  I  cannot 
recollect  having  ever  heard  of  any  pious  lady, 
whether  old  or  young,  who,  at  her  departure 
from  this  world,  cared  to  have  her  pearls  and 
other  ornaments  about  her.  On  the  contrary, 
we  read  of  a  princess,  who,  on  her  death-bed,  expressed 
her  contempt  for  them,  exclaiming,  Away  with  such 
trash  !  and  do  Thou,  0  Christ  Jesus,  adorn  my  soul 
with  Thy  royal  robes  !  Provide  yourselves,  therefore, 
with  such  pearls  as  may  strengthen  your  soul  at  death, 
and  adorn  it  in  the  sight  of  Jesus. 

As  pearls  are  strung  upon  a  thread,  and  hung  for 


180  THE  FOUL    VESSEL. 

ornament  about  the  neck,  so  ought  the  Christian  to 
string  upon  his  memory  those  precious  texts  of  Scrip- 
ture, which  contain  the  kernel,  sap,  and  strength  of 
heavenly  wisdom,  that  he  may  have  them  ready  for  use, 
both  in  life  and  death. 

Above  all,  every  time  you  decorate  yourself  with 
these  bright  and  glistening  jewels,  remember  that  your 
soul  ought  to  wear  a  similar  ornament  of  virtue,  godli- 
ness, and  good  behavior ;  otherwise  the  pearls  will  be 
ashamed  of  the  vile  object  they  are  compelled  to  adorn. 

My  God  !  my  pearls  shall  be  my  tears.  Give  me 
grace  to  shed  them  for  sorrow  at  my  sin,  for  joy  at  Thy 
goodness,  and  for  desire  after  Thy  heavenly  felicity,  and 
I  shall  ask  for  no  other  pearls. 


CX. 


DRINK  was  brought  to  Gotthold  which  tasted 
of  the  vessel  in  which  it  had  been  contained, 
)/Q  and  this  led  him  to  observe :  We  have  here  an 


emblem   of  our   thoughts,  words,  and  works. 

Our  heart  is  defiled  by  sin,  and  hence  a  taint 
of  sinfulness  cleaves  unfortunately  to  everything  we 
take  in  hand;  and  although,  from  the  force  of  habit, 


THE   FOUL    VESSEL.  181 

this  may  be  imperceptible  to  us,  it  does  not  escape  the 
eye  of  the  omniscient,  holy,  and  righteous  God.  0  yes, 
replied  a  pious  man,  who  heard  the  observation,  our 
wicked  and  ungodly  hearts  give  us  much  to  do.  By 
the  mouth  of  the  prophet,1  God  exhorts  us:  Wash 
thine  heart  from  wickedness,  that  thou  mayest  be 
saved ;  and,  in  compliance  with  the  exhortation,  I 
have  for  many  years  been  occupied  washing  the  un- 
clean vessel  with  fervent  prayers,  floods  of  tears,  con- 
stant struggles,  new  resolutions,  and  diligent  attention 
and  study  of  the  Divine  Word.  Hitherto,  however, 
I  can  find  no  trace  of  any  good  having  been  done. 
The  stains  are  here  and  there  so  deeply  fixed,  that  no 
washing  avails  to  purge  them  out ;  and  this  often  sinks 
me  into  despondency,  and  makes  me  imagine  that  my 
Christianity  is  not  worth  a  straw.  One  main  reason, 
rejoined  Gotthold,  why  God  does  not,  in  this  present 
life,  wholly  cleanse  the  heart,  and  deliver  it  from  origi- 
nal sin,  is,  that  we  may  be  preserved  from  pride,  and, 
like  weak  and  thirsty  children,  continually  cling  to  the 
grace  and  wounds  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  We  must  not 
on  that  account,  however,  despair  of  our  Christianity, 
or  suppose  that,  because  it  does  not  please  ourselves,  it 
is  also  displeasing  to  God.  God  is  a  most  affectionate 
Father ;  and  being  aware  that,  in  this  world,  His  chil- 
dren will  never  be  without  weaknesses  and  sins,  He 
exercises  patience  with  them.  Then,  opening  a  work 

l  Jeremiah  iv.  14. 


182  A    STRANGE   SEA. 

of  Tauler,  he  read  the  following  passage  :  Lord,  Thou 
seest  to  the  bottom  of  all  hearts,  and  understandest  all 
thoughts.  Thou  knowest  well  how  willingly  I  would 
give  back  into  Thy  hands  a  pure  and  heavenly  soul. 
All  I  have,  however,  is  this  foul  vessel,  full  of  filth 
and  temptation :  such  as  it  is,  I  offer  it  to  Thee.  If 
it  were  better,  to  Thee  I  would  still  give  it.  All  I 
ask  is,  that  Thou  wouldst  wash  it  with  Thy  pure  blood, 
and  so  make  it  meet  to  receive  Thy  holy  influence. 


CXI. 


another  occasion,  Gotthold  remarked  that  the 
world  is  like  a  great  ocean,  on  which,  strange  to 
say,  most  of  the  mariners  suffer  shipwreck  in 
calm  and  pleasant  weather  ;  whereas  the  storms 
and  raging  waves  of  trouble  waft  them  to  the  ha- 
ven of  eternal  bliss.  Upon  this  ocean  I  too  am  steer- 
ing my  little  bark.  Be  with  me,  0  my  God  !  and  guide 
me  to  the  wished-for  shore.  It  will  matter  little  then, 
whether  I  sailed  in  calm  and  sunshine,  or  through 
storms  and  tempests. 


THE  ENTERTAINMENT. 

CXII. 

(Bnitrixinmtni. 


OTTHOLD  was  invited  to  an  entertainment, 
and  had  the  hope  held  out  that  he  would  meet 
with  a  friend  whom  he  loved,  and  in  whose 
society  he  took  the  greatest  delight.  On  join- 
ing the  party,  however,  he  learned  that,  owing  to  some 
unforeseen  occurrence,  this  friend  was  not  to  be  present, 
and  felt  too  much  chagrined  to  take  any  share  in  the 
hilarity.  The  circumstance  afterwards  led  him  into 
the  following  train  of  thought  :  The  pious  soul  that  sin- 
cerely loves  and  fervently  longs  for  the  Lord  Jesus, 
experiences  what  I  lately  did.  She  seeks  her  Beloved 
in  all  places,  objects,  and  events.  If  she  find  Him,  who 
is  happier  ?  If  she  find  Him  not,  who  more  disconso- 
late ?  Ah  !  Lord  Jesus,  Thou  best  of  Friends  !  Thou 
art  the  object  of  my  love  ;  my  soul  seeketh  Thee  ;  my 
heart  longeth  after  Thee.  What  care  I  for  the  world, 
with  all  its  pleasures  and  pomps,  its  power  and  glory, 
unless  I  find  Thee  in  it  ?  What  care  I  for  the  daintiest 
food,  the  sweetest  drinks,  and  the  merriest  company, 
unless  Thou  art  present,  and  unless  I  can  dip  my  mor- 
sel in  Thy  wounds,  sweeten  my  draught  with  Thy  grace, 
and  hear  Thy  pleasant  words.  Verily,  my  Saviour, 
were  I  even  in  heaven,  and  did  not  find  Thee  there,  it 


184  THE  FRUITFUL    TREE. 

would  seem  to  me  no  heaven  at  all.  Wherefore,  Lord 
Jesus !  when  I  seek  Thee  with  tears,  sighs,  yearnings  of 
heart,  and  patient  hope,  hide  not  Thyself  from  me,  but 
suffer  me  to  find  Thee  !  For,  Lord !  whom  have  I  in  the 
heaven  but  Thee  ?  and  there  is  none  upon  the  earth 
that  I  desire  besides  Thee.  My  flesh  and  my  heart 
faileth  ;  but  God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my 
portion  forever.1 


CXIII. 


^ASSIN  G  a  garden,  Gotthold  observed  a  pear-tree 
whose  branches  were  bending  to  the  ground,  as 
if  they  would  break  with  the  weight  of  the 
fruit.  On  asking  a  friend,  who  was  with  him, 
What  do  you  think  it  is  which  this  tree  needs  ? 
he  was  answered :  A  prop  or  two  to  support  the  over- 
loaded boughs.  No,  rejoined  Gotthold,  but  hands  to 
pluck,  and  baskets  to  contain  the  fruit.  It  presents 
to  us  a  beautiful  emblem  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  our  be- 
loved Saviour.  He  needs  me,  and  I  Him ;  and  so  we 
suit  each  other.  Nor  think  it  strange  when  I  say  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  needs  me.  I  mean  that  He  needs  me 

l  Psalm  Ixxiii.  25,  26. 


THE  HARVEST.  185 

as  this  tree  does  baskets,  or  as  the  widow's  cruse, 
which  God  had  blessed,  needed  empty  vessels  to  hold 
the  oil ; l  or  as  the  mother,  whose  breasts  overflow, 
needs  the  child  to  suck  the  milk.  Love  constrains 
the  Lord  to  seek  me,  as  my  wants  do  me  to  seek 
Him.  He  possesses  all  things  —  heaven,  earth,  and 
all  which  they  contain ;  but  these  He  does  not  need. 
What  He  needs  is,  souls  and  hearts,  to  replenish  with 
His  grace  and  Spirit,  and  bless  with  His  salvation. 
0  mighty  love,  tender  compassion,  and  mercy  of  our 
Saviour !  He,  who  needs  nothing  else,  cannot  do  with- 
out sinful  and  wretched  man. 


CXIV. 


>0 WARDS  the  fall  of  the  year,  a  party  of  friends 
were  taking  a  walk  in  the  vicinity  of  a  town, 
when  one  of  them  began  and  said :  Alas !  how 
all  things  are  now  rushing,  as  if  down  hill, 
towards  the  cold  and  gloomy  winter !  We  no 
longer  hear  the  voice  of  a  single  bird.  The  lark 

l  1  Kings  xvii.  12. 


186  THE  HARVEST. 

mourns  to  see  the  grain  mown  down  and  carted  away, 
and  the  fields  left  to  it  all  naked  and  hare.  To  this 
Gotthold  replied :  The  birds  sing  most  in  spring,  and 
are  silent  in  summer ;  and  this,  in  my  opinion,  God  has 
in  His  goodness  ordained,  in  order  that,  while  as  yet 
we  see  the  precious  fruits  of  the  earth  only  in  their 
growth,  and  rejoice  in  them  only  in  hope,  the  music 
of  the  feathered  songsters  may  stir  us  up  to  praise 
Him.  Afterwards,  however,  when  we  begin  actually 
to  enjoy  His  manifold  bounties,  and  bear  the  precious 
grain  in  thousands  of.  cartloads  into  our  barns,  the 
birds  keep  silence,  as  if  they  deemed  it  needless  to 
remind  us  of  our  duty,  because,  amidst  the  profusion 
of  the  gifts,  it  was  not  possible  to  forget  the  Giver. 
Look  around  you,  and  on  every  hand  you  will  see  one 
load  of  grain  carted  away  after  another.  Do  you  sup- 
pose that  the  bountiful  Father  who  caused  it  to  grow 
may  hope  to  receive  for  each  a  hymn  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving  ?  And  yet  such  a  tribute  is  due  to  Him 
for  every  single  ear,  inasmuch  as  the  whole  combined 
skill  and  power  of  the  human  race  could  not,  without 
His  aid,  have  reared  a  single  ear  from  the  earth. 

0  holy  God!  would  we  but  praise  Thee,  and  love 
Thee,  and  live  in  obedience  to  Thy  will,  as  long  as 
Thou  continuest  Thy  blessings  to  us,  never  would  our 
hearts  be  empty  of  Thy  love,  our  mouths  of  Thy  praise, 
or  our  walk  of  Thy  fear ! 


THE  ARTIFICIAL    PICTURE. 


187 


cxv. 
Clre  % rtifirtal  f  uiwn>, 

MAN  of  rank  possessed  a  piece  of  painting, 
which,  when  looked  at  as  it  lay  extended  upon  a 
long  table,  showed  only  a  few  coarse  strokes  and 
confused  patches  of  color;  but  when  viewed 
through  a  glass,  which  was  fixed  at  one  end, 
beautifully  and  correctly  portrayed  a  lady  stretched 
upon  the  ground,  her  arm  resting  upon  a  skull,  and 
a  book  lying  open  before  her,  which  she  was  reading, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  Gbtthold,  on  the  picture  being 
shown  to  him,  was  greatly  surprised,  and  said :  I  can- 
not but  express  the  thoughts  which  arise  in  my  mind. 
This  picture,  methinks,  very  aptly  represents  the  Di- 
vine providence  and  all-wise  government  of  the  world. 
Viewed  merely  upon  the  surface,  nothing  can  seem 
more  jarring  or  disordered.  It  offends  not  only  the 
heathen,  but  even  Christians.  The  course  of  things 
is  well  described  by  Solomon  :  I  turned  and  saw  under 
the  sun  that  the  race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle 
to  the  strong ;  neither  yet  bread  to  the  wise,  nor  yet 
riches  to  men  of  understanding,  nor  yet  favor  to  men 
of  skill ;  but  time  and  chance  happeneth  to  them  all.1 
On  the  other  hand,  they  who  contemplate  the  state 


l  Eccles.  ix.  11. 


188  THE  MICROSCOPE. 

of  the  world  through  the  glass  of  the  Word  and  of 
faith,  speedily  become  convinced  that  a  secret  order 
runs  through  this  apparent  disorder ;  and,  though  pre- 
viously unable  to  distinguish  one  form  or  object  from 
another,  soon  discover  that  the  wise  and  mighty  hand 
of  God  has  skilfully  fitted  all  things  into  each  other, 
and,  amidst  the  thousand  complicated  changes  which 
take  place,  keeps  the  course  of  His  providence  un- 
changed, —  so  that  what  we  call  Fortune,  Accident,  or 
Chance,  is  in  reality  nothing  but  the  execution  of  His 
merciful,  righteous,  and  immutable  plans. 


CXVI. 


WO  glasses  were  fitted  by  a  friend  into  a  little 
ivory  box  in  such  a  way  that  any  small  object, 
-^  like  a.  midge  or  other  insect,  when  put  into 
it,  and  viewed  through  the  smaller  and  upper 
glass,  seemed  of  enormous  size,  and  all  its 
parts,  however  diminutive,  were  distinctly  visible.  If, 
however,  the  box  was  reversed,  and  the  objects  contem- 
plated through  the  larger  glass,  they  then  appeared  to 
shrink  below  the  usual  size.  Gotthold  looked  upon 


THE   MICROSCOPE.  189 

the  contrivance  with  no  ordinary  pleasure,  and  said :  I 
know  not  what  better  name  to  give  this  box  than  the 
magnify  ing-glass.  In  my  opinion,  however,  the  hearts 
of  the  proud  and  hypocritical  are  of  the  same  construc- 
tion. When  they  contemplate  what  is  their  own, — 
their  virtues  and  talents,  —  they  see  through  a  glass, 
which  self-love  has  so  artfully  prepared  that  all  seems 
of  vast  dimensions,  and  they  imagine  that  they  have 
good  reason  to  boast  and  congratulate  themselves  upon 
their  gifts.  If,  however,  they  have  occasion  to  look  at 
their  neighbor  and  his  good  points,  they  turn  the  little 
box  upside  down,  and  all  seems  small  and  common- 
place. They  observe  their  own  faults  and  vices  through 
the  diminishing  glass,  and  reckon  them  very  inconsid- 
erable ;  while  they  contemplate  their  neighbor's  from 
the  opposite  side,  and  so  convert  a  midge  into  an 
elephant.  The  greatest  of  all  delusions  in  the  world 
is  that  which  man  voluntarily  practises  upon  himself, 
and  which  betrays  him,  with  his  eyes  open,  into  pride, 
self-esteem,  and  contempt  of  others.  You  will  own 
that  the  heart  of  the  Pharisee,  who  looked  upon  him- 
self as  a  mighty  saint,  and  upon  the  publican  as  a 
brand  fit  for  the  burning,  was  of  this  description. 
That  Pharisee,  however,  has  left  behind  him  a  numer- 
ous offspring,  and  spread  his  line  over  the  whole  earth. 
In  fact,  I  do  not  believe  there  exists  the  man  who  has 
not  sometimes  used  such  a  box  in  the  way  we  have 
described.  This  is  the  source  of  all  the  mischief  in 


190  TUNING   A   LUTE. 

the  world  ;  for,  by  magnifying  ourselves  and  diminish- 
ing our  neighbor,  we  come  to  fancy  that  we  ought 
to  bear  nothing,  and  be  all  things.  It  also  breeds 
boasting,  disdain,  wrath,  hatred,  implacability,  inso- 
lence, and  the  like  ;  and  therefore  the  Word  of  God 
reminds  every  man  not  to  think  of  himself  more  highly 
than  he  ought  to  think,1  and  distinctly  says  :  If  any 
man  think  himself  to  be  something  when  he  is  nothing, 
he  deceiveth  himself.2 

My  God,  I  perceive  that  it  is  self-love,  and  its  off- 
spring, self-deception,  which  shut  the  gates  of  heaven, 
and  lead  men,  as  if  in  a  delicious  dream,  to  hell.  Oh, 
give  me  grace  not  to  follow  myself  and  my  delusions, 
but  Thee  and  Thy  Word  !  It  will  then  be  impossible 
for  me  to  go  astray. 


CXVII. 


N  E  day  Gotthold  happened  to  find  a  friend  tun- 
ing his  lute,  which  proved  a  work  of  some  labor. 
This  led  him  to  say  :  The  Christian  may  aptly 
be  compared  to  such  an  instrument.     A  lute 
is  made  of  common  and  soft  timber,  which 
has  not  itself,  but  the  hand  of  the  workman,  to  thank  for 

I  Rom.  xii.  3.  2  Gal.  vi.  3. 


TUNING    A    LUTE.  191 

fashioning  it  into  what  it  is.  In  like  manner,  a  Chris- 
tian has  no  distinction  above  other  men,  save  that  the 
hand  of  a  merciful  God  has  made  of  him  a  vessel  of 
grace.  As  a  lute  requires  to  be  strung,  and  skilfully 
tuned  and  touched,  so  must  the  finger  of  God  furnish 
the  heart  of  the  Christian  with  good  thoughts,  and  then 
adjust  them  to  the  honor  of  His  name.  However  beau- 
tiful a  lute  may  be,  it  is  easily  put  out  of  tune,  and  there- 
fore needs  continual  care.  And  so  does  our  Christian- 
ity. Disattuned  by  the  devil,  the  wicked  world,  and 
our  own  perverse  will,  it  would  sound  harshly,  did  not 
the  gracious  hand  of  the  Most  High  daily  regulate  and 
correct  it. 

At  the  same  time,  let  us  remember  what  duties  are 
ours.  If  we  labor  to  tune  a  lute,  that  its  sound  may 
not  grate  upon  human  ears,  why  do  we  not  take  equal 
pains  to  harmonize  and  regulate  our  thoughts,  words, 
and  works,  that  they  may  not  offend  the  sharp  eyes  and 
ears  of  the  Most  High  ?  We  hear  at  once,  if  but  a  sin- 
gle string  is  out  of  tune  ;  and  yet  we  often  neither 
mark  nor  care  for  the  discord  between  our  life  and 
walk,  and  God's  holy  commandments.  Men  instantly 
tell  us  of  the  false  note  in  our  music ;  and  let  us  also, 
my  friend,  admonish  each  other,  when  we  perceive  a 
flaw  or  discord  in  our  Christianity. 

Lord  Jesus !  tune,  regulate,  and  mould  my  life,  and 
make  it  consonant  with  Thine.  It  is  true  that  my 

strings  are  weak,  and  cannot  sustain  so  high  a  pitch  as 

13 


192  THE  BEE. 

Thy  perfection.  I  console,  myself,  however,  with  the 
thought,  that,  as  in  this  lute  there  are  higher  and  lower 
clefs,  so  among  Christians  there  are  both  the  strong 
and  the  weak ;  and  Thou  art  satisfied  with  both,  pro- 
vided only  they  are  not  false. 


CXVIII. 


OTTHOLD  saw  a  bee  flutter  for  a  while 
around  a  pot  of  honey,  and  at  last  light  upon 
it,  intending  to  feast  to  its  heart's  content.  It, 
however,  fell  in,  and  being  besmeared  in  every 
limb,  miserably  perished.  On  this  he  mused, 
and  said :  It  is  the  same  with  temporal  prosperity,  and 
that  abundance  of  wealth,  honor  and  pleasure,  which 
are  sought  for  by  the  world  as  greedily  as  honey  is  by 
the  bee.  A  bee  is  a  happy  creature  so  long  as  it  is 
assiduously  occupied  in  gathering  honey  from  the  flow- 
ers, and  by  slow  degrees  accumulating  a  store  of  it. 
When,  however,  it  meets  with  a  hoard  like  this,  it  knows 
.not  what  to  do,  and  is  betrayed  into  ruin.  In  like  man- 
ner, many  a  man  shows  himself  godly,  humble,  pious, 
so  long  as  he  is  obliged,  from  day  to  day,  to  earn  his 
bread  with  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  and  constant  diffi- 


HE  A  YEN.  193 

culty  and  toil.  Let  some  extraordinary  turn  of  for- 
tune, however,  suddenly  put  him  in  possession  of  great 
wealth,  and  it  becomes  a  stair  by  which  he  descends  to 
the  pit  of  destruction.  A  bee  perishing  like  this,  in  a 
pot  of  honey,  might  be  painted  with  the  motto,  Abun- 
dance is  my  ruin.  What,  then,  0  my  God !  ought  I  to 
desire  ?  A  great  fortune  might  prove  to  me  a  great  mis- 
fortune, and  abundance  issue  in  eternal  want.  Grant 
me  grace,  that,  like  a  bee,  I  may  diligently  labor  in 
Thy  fear,  and  not  in  vain,  for  the  portion  of  bread  con- 
venient for  me.  In  other  respects,  be  Thou  my  wealth, 
arid  then  I  shall  be  exempt  from  danger. 


CXIX. 


EDITATING  upon  the  misery  of  the  times, 
and  the  great  disorder  occasioned  by  the  war 
in  all  places  and  among  all  ranks,  Gotthold 
walked  forth  into  the  country  in  a  desponding 
mood.  Reaching  the  summit  of  a  hill,  which 
commanded  an  extensive  view  of  the  neighboring  coun- 
try, he  tarried  for  a  while,  and  indulged  in  the  follow- 
ing train  of  thought:  I  here  behold  cities,  villages, 
and  fields  ;  forests,  parks,  and  meadows  ;  hedges,  rocks, 


194  HEAVEN. 

cattle,  birds,  and  men;  —  but  all  of  them,  as  it  were, 
comprehended  by  heaven,  and  enclosed  within  its  circle. 
Look  where  I  may,  heaven  is  still  the  last  and  furthest 
object  on  which  my  eye  must  rest.  In  the  same  way,  I 
may  be  assured,  that  whatever  is  or  happens  in  the 
world,  be  it  good  or  bad,  is  subjected  to  the  heavenly 
government  and  providence.  This  is  the  vast  hoop 
which,  amidst  the  sore  destruction  and  manifold  strifes 
which  prevail,  keeps  the  world  together.  With  this 
belt,  my  all-powerful,  and  wise,  and  gracious  God  en- 
circles all  things.  Just  as  no  one  can  find  a  spot  of 
earth  on  which  he  has  not  the  heaven  for  a  roof  above 
and  a  fence  around  him,  so  just  as  -little  can  any  one 
withdraw  himself  from  that  divine  and  universal  gov- 
ernance which  disposes  all  things  to  the  glory  of  the 
Most  High,  and  the  salvation  of  the  righteous.  Why 
then  art  thou  cast  down,  0  my  soul !  or  why  disquieted 
within  me  ?  If  things  go  strangely  in  the  world,  the 
strangest  thing  is  this,  that  a  divine  order  runs  through 
the  worst  confusion  of  human  affairs.  Let  them  go  as 
they  will,  they  cannot  go  otherwise  than  as  God  wills. 
You  may  meet  with  much  to  offend,  distress,  and  harm 
you  ;  but  only  look  a  little  further,  and  you  will  see  the 
heavens  beyond,  as  the  last  object  in  sight,  governing, 
comprehending,  and  terminating  all  the  rest.  It  mat- 
ters little  what  may  be  the  course  things  take,  if  it  only 
tend  to  heaven.  Why  should  you  be  offended  because, 
in  times  of  insecurity,  war,  and  rapine  like  these,  God 


TEARS.  195 

does  not  translate  you  to  the  better  world  in  an  easy- 
chair  ?  Let  it  suffice  you  to  know,  that  all  His  paths 
are  mercy  and  truth,1  and  all  terminate  in  heaven  at 
last. 


cxx. 


EEING  a  widow,  of  whose  piety  he  was  aware, 
but  not  less  of  her  poverty  and  affliction,  seated 
in  the  garden  behind  her  humble  dwelling,  and 
there  frequently  raising  her  hands  to  heaven, 
uttering  one  deep  sigh  after  another,  and  accom- 
panying these  with  floods  of  tears,  Gotthold  could  not 
help  wondering  why  they  did  not  drain  the  fountain 
which  supplied  them.  He  could  scarce  refrain  from 
weeping  in  sympathy,  and  called  to  mind  the  words  of 
the  sou  of  Sirach:  Do  not  the  tears  run  down  the  widow's 
cheek,  and  is  not  her  cry  against  him  that  causeth  them 
to  fall  ?  After  gazing  for  a  while,  he  approached  some- 
what nearer  to  the  place,  and  was  perceived.  At  the 
sight  of  him  the  widow  instantly  blushed,  dried  her 
eyes,  and  endeavored  to  conceal  that  she  had  been 
addressing  such  anxious  supplications  to  God,  and 
pouring  out  her  afflicted  heart  in  his  presence.  Gott- 

1  Psalm  xxv.  10. 


196  TEARS. 

hold,  however,  remarked:  I  call  to  mind  the  words  of 
the  prophet :  A  voice  was  heard  in  Ramah,  lamentation 
and  bitter  weeping ;  Rachel  weeping  for  her  children, 
refused  to  be  comforted,  because  they  were  not.  But 
thus  saith  the  Lord,  Refrain  thy  voice  from  weeping, 
and  thine  eyes  from  tears,  for  thy  works  shall  be  re- 
warded.1 That  your  heart  is  crushed  with  anguish,  the 
many  tears  which  I  have  seen  you  shed  forbid  me  to 
doubt ;  for  what  are  tears  but  a  fluid  which  some  pecu- 
liar grief  wrings  from  a  troubled  heart  ?  And  even  as 
the  strongest  essence  is  extracted  by  fire  from  the  finest 
herbs  and  flowers,  so  may  tears  be  said  to  be  the  sap 
which  the  heat  of  sorrow  and  the  cross  draw  from  the 
afflicted  heart,  and  carry  off  by  the  channel  of  the 
eyes.  Be  of  good  cheer,  then,  and  know  for  certain 
that  the  Lord  hears  your  supplication,  and  puts  your 
tears  into  His  bottle.  Now  you  are  sowing  in  tears ; 
hereafter  you  shall  reap  in  joy.2  The  tears  you  shed 
will  be  changed  into  wine,  which  you  will  drink  with 
inconceivable  delight  in  heaven  ;  or  they  will  become 
pearls,  and  adorn  your  crown  of  honor  in  the  life 
eternal. 

When  she  heard  these  words,  the  poor  widow  wept 
more  bitterly  than  before,  and  said,  with  mournful 
voice:  Truly,  if  every  Christian  receives  a  measure 
which  he  must  fill  with  his  tears,  large  is  the  one  which 
has  been  allotted  to  me.  But  I  am  content  that  it 

1  Jer.  xxi.  15, 16.  2  realm  cxxvi.  5. 


THE   ANTS. 


197 


should  be  so,  and  thank  my  faithful  God,  who,  after  my 
much  weeping  and  bitter  sorrow,  never  fails  to  apply 
some  solace  to  my  burdened  heart. 

My  God  !  vouchsafe  to  me  also  this  grace  of  tears. 
They  mitigate  grief,  break  and  soften  the  heart  ;  nor  wilt 
Thou  behold  them  flow  without  fatherly  compassion. 


CXXI. 


)Y  chance  Gotthold  happened  to  come  upon  an 
ant-hill,  and  entertained  himself  for  a  while 
with  observing  the  assiduous  labors  of  these 
little  insects.  He  recollected  the  words  of 
Solomon :  Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard ;  con- 
sider her  ways,  and  be  wise :  which  having  no  guide, 
overseer,  or  ruler,  provideth  her  meat,  and  gathereth 
her  food  in  the  harvest.1  As  he  further  mused,  he 
said:  My  God,  no  doubt  there  are  many  who  equal 
these  little  creatures  in  their  pains  and  care  to  col- 
lect and  provide  temporal  supplies.  But  how  comes 
it  to  pass  that  we  are  so  slothful  in  laying  up  a  store 
for  the  wants  of  our  souls?  Ants  often  rather  drag 
than  carry  splinters  and  straws  larger  than  themselves ; 
and  so  do  the  children  of  men  frequently  burden  them- 

1  Proverbs  vi.  6—8. 


198  THE    STRANGE  BARGAIN. 

selves  with  a  load  of  care  greatly  beyond  their  strength, 
and,  if  well  considered,  quite  as  worthless  as  a  straw. 
It  is  to  this  the  prophet  alludes  when  he  says :  Surely 
they  are  disquieted  in  vain.  He  heapeth  up  riches, 
and  knoweth  not  who  shall  gather  them.1  They  think 
little  of  eternal  things,  and  devote  scarce  a  fragment  of 
their  time  to  meditation  upon  that  time  when  time 
shall  be  no  more.  Knowing,  as  I  well  do,  that  a  win- 
ter will  one  day  overtake  me,  in  which  Thou  wilt  either 
appoint  for  me  sore  trials,  or  summon  death  to  ap- 
proach, it  shall  now  be  my  incessant  employment  to 
collect  and  store  in  my  heart  the  precious  grains  of 
Scripture  texts,  in  order  that,  when  all  else  is  con- 
sumed, my  soul  may  never  lack  a  supply  of  consolation. 


CXXII. 


N  a  well-known  city  there  lived  two  merchants  — 
one  of  them  a  skilful  arithmetician,  and  generally 
•^  an  able  man  ;  the  other,  inexperienced  in  figures, 
and  by  no  means  a  match  for  the  former  in  tal- 
enjt.    They  made  the  following  bargain  :  The  first 
sold  a  horse  to  the  second  ;  but,  instead  of  fixing  a  defi- 

l  Psalm  xxxix.  6. 


THE   STRANGE  BARGAIN.  199 

nite  sum  of  money  as  the  price,  they  agreed  that  it 
should  be  regulated  by  the  thirty-two  nails  with  which 
the  four  shoes  were  fastened  to  the  animal's  hoofs,  and 
should  be  paid  in  millet  —  one  grain  being  given  for 
the  first  nail,  two  for  the  second,  four  for  the  third, 
eight  for  the  fourth,  and  so  on ;  that  is,  doubling  the 
number  at  every  nail.  The  buyer  was  at  first  delighted 
at  purchasing  a  fine  charger  for  what  he  fancied  a  very 
moderate  price ;  but,  when  the  account  came  to  be  set- 
tled, he  found  that  the  quantity  of  grain  which,  by  the 
terms  of  the  agreement,  he  was  required  to  pay,  was 
enormous.  In  fact,  he  would  have  been  reduced  to  beg- 
gary, if  some  sensible  friends  had  not  interposed,  and 
procured  a  dissolution  of  the  bargain.  Gotthold,  who 
heard  the  story,  observed :  Well  does  it  exemplify  the 
wiles  of  Satan.  By  promising  merry  hours  and  tempo- 
ral gain,  he  persuades  and  seduces  man  at  first  into 
what  he  calls  venial  faults,  and  labors  to  keep  him  in 
these  until  they  have  grown  into  a  habit.  Afterwards 
he  advances  by  geometrical  progression.  Sin  grows 
from  sin,  and  one  transgression  follows  another,  the  new 
being  always  the  double  of  the  old ;  and  so  the  increase 
proceeds,  until  at  last  the  base  pleasure  which  has  been 
bought,  can  be  paid  for  only  with  that  which  is  above 
all  price,  namely,  the  immortal  soul ;  unless,  indeed, 
God  mercifully  interpose  in  time,  with  His  Holy  Spirit 
opening  the  sinner's  eyes,  convincing  him  of  the  decep- 
tion, and  inducing  him  to  revoke  the  bargain,  and  im- 


200  THE    CHILDREN'S    CUP. 

plore  help  and  deliverance  from  his  Saviour,  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  therefore  best  to  keep  one's  self  aloof,  in 
every  way,  from  Satan  and  his  concerns,  and  to  regard 
no  sin  as  venial  and  small.  How  can  it  be  that,  when 
it  is  committed  in  opposition  to  the  holy  will  of  the 
Most  High  God  ? 

My  God !  teach  me  to  reckon  every  sin  great,  so  long 
as  I  live ;  but  oh,  let  me  look  upon  the  very  greatest 
sins  as  little,  when  I  die  ! 


CXXIII. 

irrni's  Cup. 

SAGACIOUS  father  had  purchased  for  his 
children  a  little  cup,  out  of  which  they  were 
to  drink,  and  little  plates,  from  which  to  eat 
their  food,  and  made  it  a  rule  that  when  these 
were  once  emptied,  they  received  no  more. 
Gotthold  saw  and  approved  this  strict  domestic  disci- 
pline, but  at  the  same  time  said :  Friend,  how  comes  it 
to  pass  that  what  we  find  beneficial  for  our  children, 
we  are  unwilling  to  approve  when  done  by  an  all-wise 
God  to  ourselves  ?  \Ve  fix  and  measure  out  for  them  a 
convenient  portion  of  meat  and  drink,  and  yet  we  are 
seldom  satisfied  with  that  which  the  Most  High,  in  His 


THE    SHEEP.  201 

good  pleasure,  ordains  for  ourselves.  Do  we  suppose 
that  we  men,  in  our  folly,  understand  what  is  good  for 
our  children's  health  better  than  God  what  is  good  for 
our  salvation  ?  0  my  God !  had  I  my  will  in  temporal 
things,  I  would  use  them  in  the  most  senseless  way, 
and,  as  children  do  with  meat  and  drink,  would  bring 
upon  my  poor  soul  sorrow  and  distress  by  my  excesses. 
Heavenly  Father !  allot  to  me  a  cup  either  large  or 
small,  and  pour  into  it  much  or  little,  as  Thou  wilt; 
but  give  me  always  a  few  drops  of  Thy  blessing  and 
grace,  and  with  these  I  shall  be  satisfied. 


CXXIV. 


one  day  saw  a  farmer  carefully 
countmS  his  sheeP  as  they  came  from  the  field. 
Happening  at  the  time  to  be  in  an  anxious 
and  sorrowful  mood,  he  gave  vent  to  his 
feelings,  and  said  :  Why  art  thou  cast  down, 
my  soul  ?  and  why  disquieted  with  anxious  thoughts  ? 
Surely  thou  must  be  as  dear  to  the  Most  High  as  his 
lambs  to  this  farmer.  Art  thou  not  better  than  many 
sheep  ?  Is  not  Christ  Jesus  thy  Shepherd  ?  Has  not 
He  risked  His  blood  and  life  for  thee  ?  Hast  thou  no 
interest  in  His  words:  I  give  unto  My  sheep  eternal 


202  THE    GENEROUS    TREE. 

life,  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any 
pluck  them  out  of  My  hand  ? l  This  man  is  number- 
ing his  flock ;  and  thiiikest  thou  that  God  does  not 
also  count  and  care  for  His  believing  children  and 
elect,  especially  as  His  beloved  Son  has  averred  that 
the  very  hairs  of  our  head  are  all  numbered?2  Dur- 
ing the  day,  I  may  perhaps  have  gone  astray,  and 
heedlessly  followed  my  own  devices  ;  still,  at  the  ap- 
proach of  evening,  when  the  faithful  Shepherd  counts 
His  lambs,  He  will  mark  my  absence,  and  graciously 
seek  and  bring  me  back.  Lord  Jesus !  I  have  gone 
astray  like  a  lost  sheep :  seek  Thy  servant ;  for  I  do 
not  forget  Thy  commandments.3 


CXXY. 


BEAUTIFUL  tree  was  so  laden  with  fruit, 
that  it  bent  its  branches  to  the  ground,  and, 
as  it  were,  offered  it  to  men  in  handfuls. 
Gotthold  beheld  it  with  pleasure,  praised  God 
for  the  blessing,  and,  the  apples  being  in  sea- 
son, approached  to  take  one.  The  force,  however, 
which  he  used,  shook  the  slender  bough,  and  the  con- 

l  John  x.  28.  2  Matt.  x.  30.  3  Psalm  cxix.  176. 


THE  GENEROUS    TREE.  203 

sequence  was,  that  several  dropped  at  his  feet.  Fair 
tree,  he  exclaimed,  how  generous  thou  art !  Thou 
givest  me  more  than  I  desire ;  reminding  me  thereby 
of  the  incomprehensible  and  unmerited  goodness  of 
God,  which  presents  its  blessings  as  it  were  upon 
loaded  branches;  says  to  us,  Behold  me,  behold  me;1 
and  does  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask 
or  think.2  Hannah,  the  afflicted  woman,  prays  for  a 
child,  and  obtains  six.3  Solomon  asks  for  wisdom  to 
enable  him  rightly  to  govern  his  subjects,  and  obtains 
not  wisdom  only,  but  riches  and  honor,  such  as  scarce 
any  other  monarch  ever  possessed.4  We  often  ask  for 
daily  bread ;  but  as  the  ripe  apples  drop  in  numbers 
into  my  hand,  so  dost  Thou,  my  God,  exceed  our  ask- 
ing when  this  is  good  for  us,  and  conducive  to  our  sal- 
vation. What  has  a  child  to  do  with  unripe  fruit? 
And  just  as  little  would  it  profit  me  to  receive  that 
which  is  hurtful  to  the  soul,  even  though  I  asked  for 
it.  And  we,  too,  should  resemble  this  tree  ;  presenting 
the  fruits  of  faith  to  all  who  ask  them,  extending  our 
loaded  branches,  and  distributing  with  a  liberal  hand 
to  the  needy.  As  this  is  seldom  done,  we  have  reason 
to  fear  that  in  the  garden  of  God  not  a  few  of  the 
trees  are  unfruitful,  mere  cumberers  of  the  ground, 
and  which  have  therefore  nothing  to  expect  but  the 
axe  and  the  fire. 

1  Isaiah  Ixv.  1.  31  Sam.  i  20;  ii.  21. 

2  Ephes.  iii.  20.  •*  1  Kings  iii.  12, 13. 


204  THE   MILL. 

My  God !  make  me  fruitful,  and  ever  ready  to  minis- 
ter to  my  neighbor,  as  all  Thy  creatures  do  to  me. 


CXXYI. 


a  mill  one  day,  Gotthold  recollected 
the  wise  observation  of  a  certain  prince :  Man's 
heart  is  like  a  millstone ;  pour  in  corn,  and 
round  it  goes,  bruising  and  grinding,  and  con- 
verting it  into  flour ;  whereas,  give  it  no  corn, 
and  the  stone  indeed  turns  round,  but  only  grinds 
itself  away,  and  becomes  ever  thinner,  and  smaller, 
and  narrower.  Even  so  the  heart  of  man  requires 
to  have  always  something  to  do ;  and  happy  he  who 
continually  occupies  it  with  good  and  holy  thoughts, 
otherwise  it  may  soon  consume  and  waste  itself  by 
useless  anxieties,  or  wicked  and  carnal  suggestions. 
When  the  millstones  are  not  nicely  adjusted,  grain 
may  indeed  be  poured  in,  but  comes  away  only  half 
ground,  or  not  ground  at  all.  The  same  often  happens 
with  our  heart,  when  our  devotion  is  not  sufficiently 
resolute.  On  such  occasions,  we  read  the  finest  texts 
without  knowing  what  we  have  read,  and  pray  without 
hearing  our  own  prayers.  The  eye  flits  over  the  sacred 


THE  DAMAGED   BELL.  205 

page,  the  mouth  pours  forth  the  words,  and  clappers 
like  a  mill,  but  the  heart  meanwhile  turns  from  one 
strange  thought  to  another ;  and  such  reading,  and 
such  prayer,  are  more  a  useless  form  than  a  devotion 
acceptable  to  God. 

My  God !  I  too  have  often,  in  conversing  with  Thee, 
been  like  one  asleep  and  unconscious  of  what  he  says. 
Mercifully  forgive  me  for  this,  and  associate  henceforth 
Thy  Spirit  with  my  heart,  that  my  prayer  may  be  as 
devout  as  Thy  majesty  and  my  own  necessities  require. 


CXXVII. 

Che 


BELL  in  the  neighborhood  had  been  rent,  and 
when  being  rung,  clearly  evinced  by  its  tone 
the  damage  it  had  sustained.  Gotthold,  hap- 
pening to  hear  it,  mused  as  follows:  In  the 
same  way,  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  the  faults 
of  those  who  occupy  lofty  stations  in  the  world  can 
remain  concealed.  The  more  highly  they  are  exalted, 
the  further  off  do  men  hear  their  good  or  defective 
tone.  In  persons  of  low  degree,  even  great  faults  are 
little  thought  of;  and  the  humbler  they  are,  the  more 
speedily  and  effectually  will  their  evil  report  be  swal- 


206  INGRATITUDE. 

lowed  up  by  the  humbleness  of  their  condition.  Among 
the  lofty,  however,  the  smallest  blemishes  are  reckoned 
great,  and,  by  their  exalted  station,  spread  to  a  greater 
distance. 

Keep  me,  my  God,  from  casting  a  stumbling-block 
before  any.  I  will  rather  be  humble,  unknown,  and 
good,  than  great,  renowned,  and  ungodly. 


CXXVIII. 


PER  SON  was  lamenting  that,  though  he  had 
done  good  to  numbers  of  his  fellow-men,  he 
had  been  rewarded  with  gratitude  by  few,  and 
with  ingratitude  by  many  ;  and  he  averred 
that,  for  this  reason,  he  was  resolved  hence- 
forward to  limit  and  restrain  his  liberality.  Gotthold 
replied  :  Friend,  did  you  ever  see  the  horses  taken  to 
water  ?  They  rush  into  some  beautiful  stream  or  tran- 
quil lake,  and  drink  of  it  to  their  heart's  content  ;  after 
which  they  turn  their  backs  upon  it,  or  stamp  in  it 
with  their  feet  until  the  water  is  polluted.  This  is  the 
price  they  pay  for  their  refreshing  draught.  But  what 
then  does  the  noble  river  ?  It  immediately  floats  away 
the  mud,  and  continues  after,  as  it  was  before,  full,  ana 
free  of  access  for  the  same  or  other  thirsty  creatures. 


THE  LIGHT.  207 

And  so  must  you  also  do.  If  there  really  be  a  foun- 
tain of  genuine  charity  in  your  heart,  it  will  con- 
stantly and  spontaneously  overflow,  whether  those  who 
drink  of  it  are  thankful  or  not.  He  is  a  senseless 
husbandman  who  expects  to  reap  the  produce  of  his 
seed  before  the  harvest.  This  life  is  the  season  for 
sowing  and  scattering ;  we  shall  reap  hereafter. 

My  God !  grant  that  my  bounty  may  be  a  clear 
and  transparent  river,  flowing  from  pure  charity,  and 
uncontaminated  by  self-love,  ambition,  or  interest. 
Thanks  are  due,  not  to  me,  but  Thee,  from  whom 
all  I  possess  is  derived.  And  what  are  the  paltry 
gifts  for  which  my  neighbor  forgets  to  thank  me,  com- 
pared with  the  immense  blessings  for  which  I  have 
so  often  forgotten  to  be  grateful  to  Thee ! 


CXXIX. 


I  SHIN  G  to  seal  a  letter,  Gotthold  called  for 
a  lighted  candle.  The  maid  obeyed  his  or- 
ders  ;  but,  proceeding  too  hastily,  the  flame, 
which  had  not  yet  gathered  sufficient  strength, 
went  out.  Here,  said  Gotthold,  we  have  that 
which  may  well  remind  us  of  the  gentleness  and  mod- 

14 


208  THE  LIGHT. 

eration  to  be  observed  in  our  comportment  towards 
weak  and  erring  brethren.  Had  this  candle,  when  first 
lighted,  been  carried  slowly,  and  shaded  by  the  hand 
from  the  air,  it  would  not  have  been  extinguished,  but 
would  soon  have  burned  with  vigor.  In  like  manner, 
many  a  weak  brother  might  be  set  right,  if  we  only 
came  to  his  help  in  the  right  way,  and  with  kindly  ad- 
vice. It  is  not  by  violent  strokes  that  you  reduce  the 
dislocated  limb.  Christ  Himself  does  not  quench  the 
smoking  flax,  but  blows  upon  it  with  the  gentle  breath 
of  the  blessed  words  that  proceed  out  of  His  mouth  ; l 
and  this  was  the  reason  why  disconsolate  sinners  flocked 
around,  and  pressed  upon  Him,  to  hear  what  He  said.2 


cxxx. 
tiritati0n  an 


ONTINUING,  Gotthold  said:  The  candle,  by 
burning  and  shining,  consumes  itself,  but  gives 
light  to  others,  and  ministers  to  their  use.  In 
the  same  way  ought  we  to  reckon  ourselves 
happy  when  we  are  permitted  to  employ  our 
bodily  and  mental  powers  in  the  service  of  God  and  our 
neighbor,  although  we  thereby  gradually  waste  them 
away,  and  become  ripe  for  death.  It  is  better  to  con. 

l  Luke  iv.  22.  2  Luke  v  1;  xv.  1. 


THE   LIGHT.  209 

sume  our  life  in  care  and  discomfort  for  the  service  of 
others,  than  in  luxury  and  pleasure  to  our  own  destruc- 
tion. 

CXXXI. 

CIjtrir  Sfriritaii0tt  an  %  f  igjrt. 

FT  EN,  in  the  evening,  Gotthold  added  further, 
we  see  the  midges  swarming  about  the  candle, 
and  never  desisting  until  they  have  singed 
their  wings,  and  even  burned  their  bodies. 
The  same  happens  to  all  who,  with  presump- 
tuous and  inquisitive  thoughts,  flutter  around  that  Light 
which  no  man  can  approach  unto.1  In  place  of  enlight- 
ening, it  dazzles  or  destroys  them.  Nor  is  any  one  so 
incapable  of  comprehending  the  divine  mysteries  as  he 
who  fancies  that  he  has  a  special  talent  for  the  task, 
and  ventures,  with  ingenious  intellect,  to  pry  into  all 
things. 

Lord  Jesus !  Thou  light  of  the  world,  be  also  the 
light  of  my  soul !  What  a  candlestick  is  without  the 
candle,  that  is  my  reason  without  Thy  grace  and  Spirit. 
Grant  that  I  may  here,  as  a  child  of  the  light,  walk  in 
the  light ;  and  hereafter  be  also  found  meet  for  the  in- 
heritance of  the  saints  in  light ! 

1  1  Timotlir  vi.  16. 


210  THE    TREMBLING   POPLAR. 

CXXXII. 

Cjr*  Crumbling  |j  0plar. 

)HERE  is  a  species  of  poplar  whose  leaves  have 
long  and  slender  stalks,  and  are  therefore  often 
rustled  by  a  breeze  too  faint  to  stir  the  foliage 
of  the  other  trees.  Noticing  the  fact  one  day, 
when  there  was  scarce  a  breath  of  air,  Gotthold 
thought  with  himself:  This  tree  is  the  emblem  of  a 
man  with  a  wounded  and  uneasy  conscience,  which 
takes  alarm  at  the  most  trifling  cause,  and  agitates  him 
to  such  a  pitch,  that  he  knows  not  whither  to  fly.  The 
wicked  man  trembleth  all  his  days,  saith  the  Scrip- 
ture : l  a  dreadful  sound  is  in  his  ears ;  and  though 
there  be  peace,  he  feareth  that  the  destroyer  shall  come 
upon  him,  and  that  he  shall  not  escape  misfortune. 
The  Jews  tell  us  of  Cain,  when  sojourning  in  the 
land  of  Nod,  —  which  is  the  land  of  motion,  —  that 
wherever  he  trod,  the  earth  quaked  beneath  his  feet, 
as  if  unwilling  to  bear  the  fratricide.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  it  is  at  least  certain,  that  he  who  has  a  troubled 
conscience  can  find  rest  nowhere.  The  threat  pro- 
nounced by  God  upon  the  evil-doer  is  fulfilled  in 
him : 2  Thou  shalt  find  no  ease,  neither  shall  the  sole 
of  thy  foot  have  rest ;  but  the  Lord  shall  give  thee  a 
trembling  heart,  and  failing  eyes,  and  sorrow  of  mind. 

l  Job  xv.  20.  2  Deut.  xxviii.  65. 


THE   MENDICANT.  211 

It  is  a  sore  calamity  and  distress  when,  from  age,  sick- 
ness, or  accident,  we  are  afflicted  with  a  trembling  of 
the  head  or  limbs ;  but  it  is  far  worse  when  a  troubled 
conscience  makes  the  heart  within  us  quake  like  an 
aspen  leaf. 

Merciful  God !  help  me,  by  Thy  grace,  never  to  do 
what  my  conscience  forbids.  Sin  may  be  pleasant  to 
swallow,  but  bitter  is  the  pain  with  which  it  afterwards 
wrings  the  bosom.  Not  all  the  world,  with  all  its 
wealth  and  honor,  pleasures  and  consolations,  can 
soothe  or  tranquillize  it.  Rest  for  the  soul  flows  from 
no  other  source  than  the  wounds  of  Jesus. 


CXXXIII. 


STORY  was  told  of  a  beggar  who,  during  the 
day,  limped  about  upon  crutches,  pretending 
to  be  lame  and  impotent,  and  begging  for  alms 
with  a  mournful  voice  ;  but  who,  in  the  even- 
ing,  at  his  quarters,  and  in  the  midst  of  his 
comrades,  cast  his  crutches  away,  took  part  in  the 
carouse,  and  showed  by  dancing  the  perfect  soundness 
of  his  limbs.  Many  expressed  their  surprise  at  this, 
and  called  the  fellow  impostor,  thief,  and  vagabond. 


212  THE  MENDICANT. 

But  Gotthold  observed :  My  friends,  he  is  not  the  first, 
and  just  as  little  will  he  be  the  last,  to  practise  false- 
hood for  the  sake  of  money.  Do  you  suppose  that  he 
has  not  many  a  match,  even  among  those  who  go  about 
arrayed  in  silk  and  satin  ?  How  many  try  to  cheat, 
not  merely  men,  but  God  !  How  many  deceive  them- 
selves, as  this  beggar  does  his  fellow-men !  Only  reflect 
what  takes  place  in  church.  We  demean  ourselves 
devoutly  during  worship,  penitently  at  confession,  and 
decently  and  temperately  at  the  season  of  communion. 
Our  words  then  are :  Ah,  me !  I  am  a  poor  sinner ; 
heartily  do  I  deplore  my  transgressions ;  I  cast  myself 
upon  the  Divine  mercy ;  I  will  be  glad  to  mend  my 
ways.  Oh,  how  grieved  the  beggar  then  is !  and  how 
afflicted  he  pretends  to  be !  But  only  observe  him 
when  he  has  quitted  the  church,  laid  aside  his  assumed 
devotion  and  fictitious  piety,  is  left  to  himself,  and 
returns  to  his  wanton  associates.  In  a  moment,  sin, 
repentance,  good  resolutions,  heaven  and  hell,  are  all 
forgotten.  Devotion  is  drowned,  conscience  cast  away, 
and  the  poor  sinner  no  longer  sorrowful,  sick,  and 
wretched,  but  bold,  reckless,  haughty,  and  ungovern- 
able. We  wonder,  and  with  good  reason,  that,  under 
the  Papacy,  people  believe  that  they  can  promote  their 
salvation  by  purchasing  a  monk's  hood  and  wearing  it 
in  the  grave.  We  are  not,  however,  aware  that  we 
ourselves  have  only  chosen  the  hood  of  a  hypocrite,  in 
preference  to  that  of  a  monk.  This  is  the  disguise 


LAUGHTER.  213 

which  most  Christians  wear,  and  in  which  they  also 
die  ;  they  seem  to  think  that  to  become  a  new  creature 
in  Christ  is  a  very  poor  affair. 

Alas,  Lord  Jesus!  of  all  deceptions  in  the  world, 
none  is  so  common  as  self-deception.  Looking  into 
the  mirror  of  self-love,  men  fancy  that,  if  they  please 
themselves,  they  must  also  be  pleasing  to  Thee  ;  whereas 
the  very  opposite  is  the  case.  Oh,  let  Thy  Holy  Spirit 
guide  me  into  all  truth,  and  keep  me  from  imposing 
upon  myself! 


CXXXIV. 


AS  SING  a  tavern  one  Sabbath-day,  Gotthold 
heard  the  loud  and  boisterous  laughter  of  a 
great  company  resounding  from  it,  and  said, 
with  a  sigh :  Alas,  beloved  Saviour  !  how  little 
attention  is  paid  to  the  word  which  Thou  hast 
spoken :  Woe  unto  you  that  are  full,  for  ye  shall  hun- 
ger !  woe  unto  you  that  laugh  now,  for  ye  shall  mourli 
and  weep!1  We  read  that  the  heathen,  in  ancient 
times,  figured  Laughter  as  a  god,  erected  a  statue, 
and,  with  great  rejoicings,  celebrated  an  annual  feast 
in  his  honor.  The  nominal  Christians  of  our  own 

1  Luke  vi.  25. 


214  LAUGHTER. 

day  have,  as  it  appears,  been  learning  their  customs ; 
but,  in  place  of  one,  have  built  many  temples  to  the 
idols  of  Laughter  and  Joy,  and  meet  in  them,  not 
annually,  but  rather  weekly  and  daily,  showing  far 
greater  diligence  in  their  worship  than  in  the  service 
of  the  true  God.  Even  the  Sabbath  has  become  a 
day  for  tippling  and  swinish  excess ;  piety  is  changed 
into  pomp,  seriousness  into  sensuality.  But,  alas ! 
laughter  like  this  makes  devils  laugh,  and  is  a  pre- 
monition and  prelude  of  everlasting  weeping  and  wail- 
ing ;  just  as  the  laugh  of  new-born  infants  is  regarded 
by  physicians  and  mothers  as  a  sign  of  the  sharp  pains 
and  bitter  crying  that  are  to  ensue. 

This  reminds  me  of  a  strange  and  melancholy  story 
of  an  incident  which  took  place  ten  or  twelve  years  ago 
in  a  celebrated  commercial  city.  A  well-dressed  and 
handsome  youth  entered  an  inn,  called  for  breakfast, 
then  for  beer  and  wine,  and  at  last  for  gamesters  and 
musicians.  He  spent  the  whole  day  in  mirth  and  jollity 
of  every  conceivable  sort;  and,  when  evening  came, 
paid  the  bill,  and  bade  the  musicians  follow  him,  play- 
ing their  very  best.  He  then  took  the  way  to  the 
navigable  river  which  flows  in  the  vicinity, —  dancing, 
singing,  and  laughing  as  he  went,  —  and  walked  into 
the  water,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  musicians,  who, 
fancying  it  was  a  diversion,  looked  on  and  continued 
to  play.  At  last,  calling  for  a  right  merry  tune,  and 
throwing  them  a  dollar  from  the  stream,  he  laughed 


THE   DISCONSOLATE   MAN.  215 

aloud,  cried  Good-night,  gentlemen,  plunged  into  the 
deep,  and  was  drowned.  It  was  generally  supposed 
that  he  was  a  clerk  from  some  distant  place,  who  had 
squandered  the  money  of  his  principal,  and  did  not 
dare  to  face  the  day  of  reckoning.  Fear  of  punish- 
ment on  earth  plunged  him  into  everlasting  wailing. 
Such  is  the  mirth,  the  pleasure,  and  the  laughter  of 
the  world. 

Holy  and  merciful  God !  grant  me  grace  to  rejoice 
as  though  I  rejoiced  not.  Thou  art  the  fountain  of 
true,  heavenly,  and  perpetual  joy.  Be  Thou  the  joy 
of  my  heart,  and  then  will  I  willingly  forego  the  joys 
of  the  world.  Better  enter  into  heaven  weeping  and 
mourning,  than  go  to  hell  with  mirth  and  laughter. 


cxxxv. 


PERSON  in  deep  distress  called  one  day  on 
Gotthold,  told  him  that  he  had  something  to 
say,  and  expressed  a  wish  to  converse  with  him 
alone.  Being  shown  into  a  side-chamber,  he 
began  to  shed  such  a  flood  of  tears  as  rendered 
vain  any  attempt  to  utter  a  word.  You  wished  to 


216  THE  DISCONSOLATE  MAN. 

speak  with  me,  said  Gotthold,  and  now,  though  your 
lips  are  silent,  I  can  easily  understand,  from  the  lan- 
guage of  your  eyes,  that  your  heart  is  burdened  with 
some  great  distress.  Dear  sir,  do  tell  me  what  it  is, 
and  relieve  your  mind.  Ah!  said  the  stranger,  sin, 
sin  !  thou  poison  of  the  soul !  how  dost  thou  gnaw  and 
plague  my  poor  heart !  To  this  Gotthold  rejoined,  with 
a  smile :  You  had  almost  made  me  as  disconsolate  as 
yourself,  and  drawn  tears  from  my  eyes  by  those  that 
flow  from  your  own.  But,  so  far  as  I  can  understand, 
this  sorrow  of  yours  is  not  worth  sorrowing  for ;  nay, 
your  grief  even  makes  me  glad,  and  I  take  delight  in 
your  distress.  Indeed,  even  the  holy  angels  smile  to 
see  you  weep,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Himself  rejoices  be- 
cause you  mourn.  Had  I  witnessed  your  sin,  I  might 
then  have  wept ;  but,  now  that  you  are  weeping  tears 
of  sorrow  for  it,  you  give  me  cause  heartily  to  rejoice. 
This  is  that  godly  sorrow  which  worketh  repentance 
unto  salvation,  not  to  be  repented  of.1  I  wish  from  my 
inmost  soul  that  I  saw  all  the  impenitent  and  secure  in 
the  state  in  which  you  are.  There  are  many  indeed 
who  weep  because  they  cannot  have  their  will,  not 
many  because  they  have  had  it.  I  see  plenty  of 
mourners  in  the  world,  but  few  who  mourn  for  them- 
selves ;  and  yet,  miserable  is  that  soul  which  has  never 
once  wept  for  its  own  undoing.  Disconsolate  hearts, 
however,  are  the  proper  vessels  to  be  filled  with  the 

l  2  Cor.  vii.  10. 


WHY  GOD   PERMITS   SIN.  217 

blood  and  consolations  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Weep,  then, 
and  let  the  fountain  of  your  tears  flow  unrestrained. 
The  heavenly  Physician  is  already  seeking  a  remedy 
for  your  sorrow. 


CXXXVI. 

Shi. 


stranger  continued:  Ah,  me!  why  did  God 
permit  me  to  go  astray,  and  commit  sin  ?  In 
truth,  replied  Gotthold,  you  may  be  certain 
that  it  would  have  been  much  more  pleasing  to 
Him  if  you  had  not  sinned  ;  but,  since  the 
thing  is  done,  be  thankful  that,  in  His  mercy  and  for- 
bearance, He  did  not  punish  you  in  the  act,  and,  by  a 
sudden  death,  hurry  you  into  eternal  perdition.  Un- 
derstand likewise,  that,  being  infinitely  powerful  and 
good,  He  would  not  suffer  evil  to  take  place  in  the 
world  at  all,  if  His  infinite  power  and  goodness  could 
not  turn  it  into  good.  Meditation  upon  sin  breeds 
godly  sorrow,  holy  hatred  of  a  sinful  life,  contempt  of 
the  world,  and  longing  after  heaven.  The  soul  which 
is  watered  with  such  rain  as  your  penitent  tears,  will 
flourish  with  the  graces  of  humility  and  meekness, 
long-suffering,  loving-kindness,  and  compassion  for  oth- 


218  AFTER-PAINS. 

ers.  No  one  teaches  more  gently,  or  waits  more  pa- 
tiently, or  comforts  more  effectually,  or  forgives  more 
heartily,  than  he  who  has  himself  needed  gentleness, 
patience,  comfort,  and  forgiveness.  Who  loves  the 
Lord  Jesus  so  much  as  he  to  whom  many  sins  have 
been  forgiven  ?  Who  has  so  strong  a  relish  for  the 
sweetness  of  grace  as  he  who,  under  the  painful  smart 
of  his  misdeeds,  has  tasted  the  Divine  displeasure  ?  As- 
cribe your  fall  to  yourself,  and  your  own  wickedness ; 
but  ascribe  the  season  you  have  had  for  repentance,  and 
the  insight  which  you  have  obtained  into  the  deformity 
of  sin,  and  the  hearty  desire  you  cherish  for  the  grace 
of  God,  solely  to  the  Divine  goodness.  That  is  of  so 
marvellous  a  kind,  that  it  strengthens  us  even  by  our 
frailties,  and  raises  us  by  our  falls. 


CXXXVII. 


XPERIENCE  testifies,  that  after  a  severe  fall, 
or  the  fracture  of  an  arm  or  leg,  although  the 
injury  may  have  been  successfully  cured,  yet 
the  patient  frequently  feels  pain  in  the  in- 
jured part,  especially  at  the  approach  of  a 
storm.  Some  sensations  of  the  kind  led  Gotthold  to 
reflect  upon  them,  and  he  was  at  a  loss  what  to  call 


AFTER-PAINS.  219 

them  but  a  secret  impulse  of  the  love  of  God,  intended 
to  remind  us  that  our  gratitude  is  due  to  Him,  as  long 
as  we  live,  for  graciously  protecting  us  in  the  hour  of 
danger,  and  so  far  mitigating  the  evil,  as  that  it  should 
not  break  our  neck,  or  cripple  us  for  life.  But,  just 
like  the  body,  he  proceeded  to  say,  so  has  the  soul  its 
mishaps,  its  convalescence,  and  after-pains. 

Alas,  my  God  !  what  else  is  this  life  but  a  miry  way, 
a  sheet  of  slippery  ice,  and  a  dangerous  ladder  ?  How 
easily  we  may  happen  to  fall  and  hurt  our  soul.1  In 
such  a  case,  no  doubt,  Thou  tenderly  pitiest  us,  and 
healest  our  infirmities.  But,  that  we  may  not  forget 
ourselves,  and  may  learn  to  walk  humbly  and  circum- 
spectly, our  conscience  sometimes  feels  the  smart  of 
former  falls.  My  God !  when  the  painful  remem- 
brance of  my  past  sins  recurs,  I  will  thank  Thee, 
that  Thou  didst  not  suddenly  cut  me  off  in  my  trans- 
gressions, but  in  Thine  unspeakable  goodness  didst 
spare  my  life.  I  will  also  thank  Thee  for  not  leaving 
me  at  ease  under  my  hurt,  but  for  adopting  means 
to  cure  it  thoroughly  in  this  present  life,  that  it  may 
not  terminate  in  everlasting  death  hereafter.  The 
pains  of  conscience  are  caused  by  the  wine  of  the  law 
which  Thou  pourest  in  to  cleanse  the  wound.  But 
along  with  the  wine  Thou  pourest  in  the  oil  of  mercy 
to  soothe  and  heal  it.  Be  it  smart,  or  be  it  solace, 
both,  I  am  certain,  will  work  together  for  my  good. 

l  Prov.  viii.  36.    Luth.  ver. 


220  TEE   BLINDED   BIRD. 

CXXXVIII. 

girlr. 


uOTTHOLD  was  one  day  shown  into  an  apart- 
ment in  which  a  number  of  birds  were  kept 
for  the  entertainment  of  their  owner.  Among 
these  was  a  nightingale,  in  a  cage  covered 
with  green  cloth,  and  a  finch,  blindfolded.  As  the 
owner  said,  and  as  experience  testified,  these  two 
surpassed  all  the  rest  in  the  mirth  and  pleasantness 
of  their  notes.  Gotthold  observed :  Although  I  cannot 
approve  of  imprisoning  these  poor  little  creatures,  and 
far  less  of  depriving  them  of  the  use  of  their  eyes  and 
the  light  of  the  sun,  it  yet  gives  me  pleasure  to  behold 
in  them  the  true  emblem  of  a  devout  suppliant,  who 
speaks  to  his  God  with  filial  boldness,  and  thanks  Him 
with  joyful  lips  for  all  his  blessings.  To  this  end,  the 
soul  must  be  in  solitude  and  at  peace,  and  not  only 
choose  a  secret  and  undisturbed  retreat,  but  keep  aloof 
from  its  own  worldly  cares,  thoughts,  and  wishes,  and 
resign  itself,  with  child-like  confidence,  to  the  Divine 
will.  How  blessed  the  man  who  prays  with  his  soul 
blindfolded,  seeing  nothing  but  the  mercy  and  majesty 
of  God  !  His  prayers,  and  psalms,  and  sighs,  are  so 
pleasing,  that  God  and  all  the  holy  angels  listen  to 
them  with  delight.  At  first,  indeed,  it  may  appear 
strange  and  difficult,  when  we  are  told  to  look  upon  no 


GRAY  HAIRS.  221 

earthly  object  with  confidence ;  on  further  trial  and 
experience,  however,  we  will  discover  that  no  one  ob- 
serves more  acutely,  or  sings  more  sweetly,  than  he 
who,  sequestered  from  the  world,  and  blindfolding  the 
eyes  of  his  understanding,  directs  his  heart,  in  peace 
and  simplicity,  to  God. 

0  my  God!  close  my  eyes,  that  I  may  see  Thee; 
separate  me  from  the  world,  that  I  may  enjoy  Thy 
company. 


CXXXIX. 


EETING  ,an  old  and  worthy  man,  who  lifted 
his  hat  to  him,  and  thereby  exposed  his  silvery 
locks,  Gotthold  thought  with  t  himself  :  How 
true  it  is,  as  the  Scripture  says,  that  the  hoary 
head  is  a  crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the 
way  of  righteousness  ;  and  that  the  gray  head  is  the 
beauty  of  old  men  !  l  God  Himself,  when  He  appeared 
in  a  human  form,  was  pleased  to  wear  gray  hair,2 
and  in  His  law  has  enjoined  the  young  to  rise  up 
before  the  hoary  head,  and  honor  the  face  of  the  old 
man.3  Even  the  heathen  discovered,  by  the  light  of 

1  Prov   xvi  31;  xx.  29.  2  Dan.  vii  9;  Rev.  i.  14.  3  Lev.  xix  32. 


222  THE    COIN. 

nature,  that  it  is  disgraceful  not  to  treat  the  hoary  head 
with  respect.  This  silvery  crown  cannot  be  won  with- 
out a  world  of  care,  trouble,  and  sorrow ;  and  therefore 
every  white  hair  upon  it  should  admonish  the  young  to 
show  it  due  honor j  thankfully  acknowledge  its  toils, 
and  supplicate  of  God  long  to  spare  and  preserve  the 
heads  whose  silvery  locks  conceal  much  wise  counsel, 
large  experience,  and  lofty  gifts. 

My  God !  my  time  is  in  Thy  hands.  Shoiild  it  please 
Thee  to  lengthen  my  life,  and  complete,  as  Thou  hast 
begun,  the  work  of  blanching  my  locks,  grant  me  grace 
to  wear  them  as  an  unsullied  crown  of  honor.  Should 
this  not  be  Thy  pleasure,  I  shall  be  satisfied  with  know- 
ing, as  I  do,  that  wisdom  is  gray  hair  unto  men,  and  an 
unspotted  life  old  age. 


CXL. 
t  Coin. 


E I N  G  present  in  a  company  where  a  new  coin, 
bearing  the  likeness  of  a  great  potentate,  was 
produced,   Gotthold    put   the   question :    For 
what  reason,  think  you,  do  monarchs  cause 
their  image  to  be  stamped  upon  the  coin  of 
the  realm  ?     To  this  one  replied :  No  doubt,  in  order 


THE  COIN.  223 

thus,  too,  to  set  up  a  memorial  of  themselves  to  pos- 
terity ;  there  being  nothing  which  men  store  and  pre- 
serve with  so  much  pains  as  money.  In  my  opinion, 
said  another,  a  prince  imprints  his  likeness  upon  the 
coin,  as  he  does  his  seal  upon  a  letter,  in  order  to 
authenticate  and  give  it  currency  as  lawful  and  ster- 
ling. Said  a  third,  It  may  probably  be  also  done  to 
remind  the  subjects  heartily  to  love  and  pray  for  the 
authorities  under  whose  shield  and  protection  they  are 
enabled,  in  freedom  and  safety,  to  sell  and  buy,  carry 
on  trade  and  commerce,  travel,  or  stay  at  home.  My 
explanation,  subjoined  Gotthold,  would  be,  that  a  sov- 
ereign intends,  by  the  exhibition  of  his  image,  to  re- 
mind his  subjects  of  his  authority,  power,  and  justice, 
that  under  this  strong  inducement,  they  may  show  the 
same  integrity  and  uprightness  in  their  dealings  and 
transactions,  as  if  the  prince  himself  were  agent,  and 
ratified  these  by  his  presence.  Let  the  occasion  also 
remind  us  that  our  hearts  ought  to  be  a  divine  medal, 
stamped  with  the  image  of  Christ,  the  Prince  of  heaven  ; 
and  all  that  we  say,  or  think,  or  do,  should  bear  the 
impress  of  His  love,  gentleness,  humility,  kindness,  tem- 
perance, charity,  contentment,  and  truth. 

Ah,  Lord  Jesus !  do  Thou  Thyself  stamp  Thine 
image  upon  my  heart,  that  it  may  be  acknowledged 
as  sterling  in  heaven.  The  dollars  and  ducats  which 
we  so  highly  value,  receive  the  royal  or  princely  image 

only  by  being  subjected  to  the  hammer  and  the  stamp. 

15 


224  THE  HEAVENLY  BODIES. 

Even  so,  no  one  can  be  renewed  into  the  image  of  God, 
unless  he  submit  with  cheerfulness  and  patience  to  the 
blessed  cross. 


CXLI. 

xrf  ixe 


N  a  company  of  friends,  the  conversation  happened 
to  turn  upon  the  magnitude  of  the  sun,  moon, 
and  other  stars,  when  one  of  them  observed :  It 
seems  to  me  scarcely  credible,  that  a  body,  appar- 
ently no  bigger  than  a  ball  of  fire  or  a  glittering 
speck,  should  yet  be  many  thousand  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence. Gotthold  heard  the  remark,  and,  in  explanation 
of  the  matter,  observed :  Did  you,  when  abroad  at 
night,  ever  happen  to  see  a  fire  kindled  by  herdsmen, 
or  hunters  in  the  forest,  or,  for  the  benefit  of  sailors, 
on  the  sea-shore.  Beheld  from  a  distance,  it  seems  so 
small,  that  you  would  declare  it  was  only  a  spark.  The 
nearer  you  approach  it,  however,  the  juster  the  notion 
you  obtain  of  its  magnitude.  It  is  the  same  with  the 
balls  on  the  top  of  lofty  spires ;  many  a  one,  when  he 
sees  them  from  the  ground,  fancies  they  are  no  larger 
than  his  hat ;  and  yet,  you  are  aware,  they  are  several 
ells  in  circumference.  It  is  also  the  same,  he  proceeded 


THE  HEAVENLY  BODIES.  225 

to  say,  with  tlie  heavenly  bodies  ;  and  when  I  now  in- 
form you  that  astronomers  have  indisputably  proved 
that  these  are  many  millions  of  miles  remote  from  the 
earth,  you  may  perhaps  be  mightily  astonished  at  a  dis- 
tance so  vast ;  but,  admitting  the  fact,  you  can  have  no 
difficulty  in  conceiving  that,  in  spite  of  their  prodigious 
size,  the  stars  should  yet  appear  to  us  so  small.  In  or- 
der, however,  that  we  may  reap  some  spiritual  profit 
from  this  subject,  let  me  take  occasion,  from  your  doubts, 
to  remind  you  of  the  unbelief  which  we  naturally  in- 
herit regarding  divine  and  heavenly  things.  Earthly 
objects,  which  are  before  our  eyes  and  lie  at  our  feet, 
appear  to  us  great  and  valuable,  and  worthy  our  utmost 
efforts;  and  so  we  strive  laboriously  after  them,  al- 
though they  owe  all  their  magnitude  to  our  imagina- 
tion ;  whereas,  on  the  contrary,  the  heavenly  things 
which  God  holds  forth  to  our  view  in  His  promises,  and 
intimates  to  us  by  many  a  foretaste  of  His  benignity  — 
all  vast  and  glorious  although  in  reality  they  be  —  are 
reckoned  small  and  inconsiderable,  and  sought  after 
with  little  diligence  or  pains.  The  reason  is,  that  we 
are  on  the  earth,  and  are  earthly  minded.  They  how- 
ever, who,  on  the  wings  of  faith  and  devout  contempla- 
tion, soar  somewhat  nearer  to  heaven,  imagine  the 
earth  to  be  a  little  ball,  and  the  great  and  haughty 
among  mankind,  with  all  their  mighty  enterprises,  to 
be  mere  ants  or  worms  that  crawl  upon  it.  The  same 
persons,  on  the  other  hand,  see  heavenly  things  as 


226  THE    CONTRACT. 

great,  glorious,  and  desirable  —  suitable  to  the  great- 
ness of  Him  who  dwells  in  heaven.  Learn,  therefore, 
in  future,  to  think  little  of  what  is  thought  great  upon 
earth,  and  to  aspire  after  that  heaven  in  which  alone 
are  to  be  found  great  joy,  great  peace,  great  riches, 
great  honor,  great  society,  a  great  house,  a  great  God, 
and  a  great  and  endless  felicity. 

My  God  !  grant  unto  me  what  well  beseems  a  soul 
which  Thou  lovest  and  choosest  —  a  proper  sense  of 
pride,  that  I  may  look  upon  this  poor  and  passing 
shadow  of  a  world  as  nothing,  seeing  that  it  cannot 
satisfy  the  wants  of  a  spirit  so  noble  in  its  nature,  and 
so  precious  in  Thine  eyes.  Grant  also  that  I  may  pant 
after  Thee  and  Thy  heavenly  kingdom,  where  all  will 
be  greater  than  my  puny  mind  can  now  conceive. 


CXLII. 


1WO  neighbors  entered  into  a  contract  when 
Gotthold  happened  to  be  present.  It  was 
thought  advisable  that  the  terms  should  be 
drawn  up  in  writing  ;  but,  as  the  party  who 
gave  the  promise  offered  his  right  hand  to 
the  other,  saying,  There  is  my  right  hand  —  I  will 
execute  what  I  have  undertaken  like  an  honest  man, 


THE  CONTRACT.  227 

the  other  was  instantly  satisfied,  and  replied:  Since 
you  have  given  your  word  and  hand,  I  trust  you  as 
an  honest  man.  Well  done,  my  friends !  exclaimed 
Gotthold ;  this  is  old  German  truth  and  integrity. 
Would  that  they  were  still  universal!  Christian  sin- 
cerity should  be  the  most  binding  of  all  obligations; 
but,  being  now  so  rare,  recourse  has  been  had  to  writ- 
ings and  seals;  and  even  these  are  not  always  found 
to  be  the  best  security.  But  another  thought  has  just 
entered  my  mind  :  We  men  do  occasionally  trust  a  fel- 
low-man in  whom  we  discover  some  trace  or  hope  of 
truthfulness,  provided  he  pledge  his  hand  and  word. 
Why,  then,  do  we  not  trust  God,  whom  no  one  ever 
found  false  ?  We  have  His  word  in  the  Scripture  and 
its  promises ;  we  have  His  hand  in  the  dealings  of 
His  providence,  and  in  the  experiences  of  our  whole 
life ;  we  have  His  heart  in  the  crucified  Jesus ;  and, 
I  might  also  add,  His  letter,  written  with  the  blood 
of  His  Son,  and  confirmed  by  the  seal  of  His  Holy 
Spirit.  What,  then,  should  hinder  us  from  joyfully 
and  fearlessly  trusting  Him  with  our  whole  heart  and 
soul  ?  We  trust  a  father,  a  mother,  a  brother,  because 
they  are  related  to  us  by  blood ;  we  trust  a  lawyer  for 
his  wisdom,  and  commit  to  him  our  affairs ;  we  trust 
a  physician  for  his  skill,  and  confide  our  health  into 
his  hand.  Why,  then,  do  we  not  trust  God,  who  is  all, 
knows  all,  and  is  both  able  and  willing  to  do  all  that 
is  necessary  for  our  present  good  and  final  salvation  ? 


228  PALPITATION  OF   THE  HEART. 

CXLIII. 


conversation,  in  a  company,  happening  to 
turn  upon  the  beating  and  motion  of  the 
heart  in  the  human  body,  great  admiration 
was  expressed  at  the  power  and  wisdom 
with  which  the  Creator  has  so  contrived 
these,  as  to  keep  the  blood  in  circulation,  and  im- 
pregnate it  with  vital  power,  assimilating  the  heart, 
as  one  of  the  company  observed,  to  the  great  ma- 
chines which,  through  secret  pipes,  distribute  water 
over  a  whole  city.  Gotthold  observed  :  Let  this  re- 
mind us  of  the  expression  which  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
twice  used  respecting  David,  namely,  that  his  heart 
smote  him,1  upon  one  occasion,  when,  in  the  cave,  he 
cut  oif  the  skirt  of  Saul's  robe  ;  and  upon  another,2 
after  he  had  numbered  the  people.  And  let  us  sup- 
plicate as  a  grace  from  God,  that,  whenever  we  are 
tempted,  by  imprudence  or  infirmity,  to  enter  on  any 
doubtful  or  dangerous  course,  our  heart  may  in  the 
same  way  beat  and  palpitate,  to  warn  us  of  our  dan- 
ger ;  or  that,  if  we  have  already  been  misled,  and 
are  fallen  into  sin,  it  may  give  us  no  rest,  but  smite 
and  compel  us,  till,  with  true-  repentance,  we  fly  to 
the  cross  of  Christ,  and  find  rest  for  it  in  Him.  Not 

1  1  Sam.  xxiv.  5.  22  Sam.  xxiv.  10. 


THE  HEART.  229 

without  reason  do  I  call  such  palpitation  a  grace  of 
God;  for,  in  fact,  it  is  nothing  else  but  Christ  and 
His  Spirit  knocking  at  the  door  of  our  heart,  either 
to  dissuade  us  from  sinning,  or  induce  us  to  repent 
of  having  sinned.  In  the  body,  the  stoppage  of  the 
heart's  beating  indicates  the  presence  of  death  ;  and, 
even  so,  he  who  no  longer  feels  palpitation  in  his  con- 
science, is,  even  though  living,  spiritually  dead. 


CXLIV. 

abitation  on  fyt 

N  the  case  of  the  criminal  who  has  long  stifled 
his  conscience,  the  heart  beats  violently  when 
he  labors  under  apprehension  or  anxiety.  We 
are  told  of  an  ingenious  judge,  who,  as  an  easy 
and  expeditious  way  of  detecting  a  murderer 
among  a  number  of  persons  who  were  suspected,  or- 
dered them  all  to  stand  round  him  in  a  circle,  and 
uncover  their  bosoms.  He  then  proceeded  to  lay  his 
hand  upon  each  in  succession  over  the  region  of  the 
heart,  and  discovered  the  perpetrator  by  the  violence 
of  the  palpitation. 

Here  Gotthold  paused  ;  but  a  learned  man,  who  was 


230  THE  HEART. 

present,  took  up  the  word,  and  said  that  he  had  re- 
cently met  with  a  very  beautiful  story,  which  was 
highly  appropriate  to  the  subject  of  conversation ;  and 
that,  if  it  was  the  company's  pleasure,  he  would  briefly 
relate  it.  It  happened  in  Switzerland,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  years  ago,  that  a  worthy  peasant  was 
sentenced  to  the  flames  for  adherence  to  the  truth  of 
the  gospel.  After  many  admirable  proofs  of  constancy 
and  fortitude  during  his  confinement,  he,  so  to  speak, 
bequeathed  to  posterity  a  most  remarkable  one  imme- 
diately before  his  death.  When  bound,  and  ready  to 
be  thrown  into  the  fire,  he  craved  permission  to  speak 
once  more  to  the  judge,  who,  according  to  the  Swiss 
custom,  was  required  to  be  also  present  at  the  execution. 
After  repeatedly  refusing,  the  judge  at  last  came  for- 
ward, when  the  peasant  addressed  him  thus :  You  have 
this  day  condemned  me  to  death.  Now,  I  freely  admit 
that  I  am  a  poor  sinner,  but  positively  deny  that  I  am 
a  heretic,  because  from  my  heart  I  believe  and  confess 
all  that  is  contained  in  the  Apostles'  Creed  (which  he 
thereupon  repeated  from  beginning  to  end).  Now, 
then,  sir,  he  proceeded  to  say,  I  have  but  one  last 
request  to  make ;  which  is,  that  you  will  approach  and 
place  your  hand  first  upon  my  breast,  and  then  upon 
your  own,  and  afterwards  frankly  and  truthfully  de- 
clare, before  this  assembled  multitude,  which  of  the 
two,  mine  or  yours,  is  beating  most  violently  with  fear 
and  anxiety.  For  my  part,  I  quit  the  world  with  alac- 


BOOKS.  231 

rity  and  joy,  to  go  and  be  with  Christ,  in  whom  I  have 
always  believed ;  what  your  feelings  are  at  this  moment 
is  best  known  to  yourself.  The  judge  could  make  no 
answer,  and  commanded  them  instantly  to  light  the 
pile.  It  was  evident,  however,  from  his  looks,  that  he 
was  more  afraid  than  the  martyr. 

Gotthold  offered  the  thanks  of  the  company  to  the 
speaker  for  his  beautiful  story,  with  which,  he  said,  he 
had  not  met  in  any  of  the  martyrologies,  and  added : 
Let  us,  therefore,  earnestly  desire  and  continually  pray, 
in  the  name  of  Christ,  to  God,  graciously  to  give  to  us 
at  our  death  an  equally  calm,  happy,  and  fearless  heart. 


CXLV. 


STUDENT  of  theology  complained  one  day 
that  he  was  too  poor  to  procure  a  sufficient 
supply  of  books  ;  and  yet,  according  to  his  opin- 
ion, a  study  without  books  was  like  a  druggist's 
shop,  in  which  the  unstopped  phials  and  empty 

boxes  can  furnish  no  medicine  for  the  cure  of  disease. 

Gotthold  replied  :     There  is  some  truth  in  what  you 


232  BOOKS. 

say  ;  but,  my  good  sir,  do  not  imagine  that  a  multitude 
of  books  is  the  only  source  from  which  it  is  possible  to 
derive  that  erudition  and  mental  culture  which  are  ac- 
ceptable in  the  sight  of  God.  In  fact,  they  often  do 
more  harm  than  good.  It  is  possible  to  dry  up  a  vast 
stream  by  draining  off  its  waters  into  little  currents ; 
and  this  is  what  happens  to  the  mind  which  is  prompted 
by  curiosity  or  the  hope  of  fame  to  read  much,  and  toil 
through  many  books,  but  which  gains  only  the  boast  of 
having  read  them  ;  at  the  same  time  losing  its  humility 
and  godliness.  How  foolish,  too,  is  the  man  who  sets 
up  a  number  of  costly  volumes,  like  superfluous  fur- 
niture, for  mere  ornament,  and  is  far  more  careful  to 
keep  them  from  contracting  a  single  spot  of  ink  than  to 
use  them  as  the  means  of  instructing  his  ignorance,  and 
correcting  his  faults.  Compared  with  fools  like  these, 
you  ought  to  be  considered  fortunate.  Better  a  man 
without  books,  than  books  without  a  man.  Select  for 
yourself  one  or  two  of  superior  excellence,  and  lay 
them  not  aside,  until  it  is  observable  in  both  you  and 
them  that  they  have  been  well  used.  That  copy  of  an 
old  author,  which  a  pious  lady  had  read  so  often,  and 
bedewed  so  plentifully  with  her  tears,  that  the  pages 
had  grown  thin  and  sallow,  was  worth  all  the  libraries 
of  all  hypocrites  and  nominal  Christians  collected  into 
one.  Be  less  concerned,  therefore,  about  the  number 
of  the  books  you  read,  and  more  about  the  good  use 
you  make  of  them.  The  best  of  books  is  the  Bible  ;  it 


THE   SAVINGS-BOX 


is  the  treasury  of  all  spiritual  and  divine  sciences.  To 
it,  therefore,  you  must  give  the  preference,  because  it 
will  instruct  you  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


CXLVI. 


)OTTHOLD'S  sons  had  purchased  a  savings- 
box,  to  keep  the  little  sums  of  money  they 
occasionally  received,  and  found  that,  how- 
ever easy  to  drop  the  pieces  in,  it  was  much 
more  difficult  to  bring  them  out.  He  thereupon  ob- 
served :  That  is  an  emblem  of  the  hearts  and  coffers 
of  the  vast  majority  of  the  men  of  these  times.  They 
are  very  greedy  to  take,  but  very  backward  to  give,  es- 
pecially for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  relief  of  the  poor. 
Oh,  how  long  we  must  shake,  and  how  many  arts  we 
must  try,  before  we  can  extract  even  a  penny  from  a 
hard  and  penurious  man  for  the  service  of  God  or  his 
neighbors!  So  long  as  he  lives,  he  imagines  that  the 
business  for  which  he  came  into  the  world  is  to  collect 
and  keep  money  ;  but  when  he  has  to  leave  the  world, 
and  when  death  breaks  the  savings-box  to  pieces,  and  lie 
must  resign  his  hoard  to  others,  he  does  it  with  reluc- 


234  BLIND- MAN'S  BUFF. 

tance  and  displeasure.  I  really  believe  that,  were  it  not 
too  absurd  and  useless,  many  a  miser,  in  making  his 
will,  would  do  what  a  miser  once  actually  did :  appoint 
himself  his  own  heir.  How  dreadful  a  folly  to  hoard 
up  gold,  and  to  lose  heaven  ! 

Jesus,  save  me  from  the  infatuation  of  avarice  !  I 
too  will  lay  up  a  treasure,  but  Thou  shalt  have  the  keep- 
ing of  it.  I  will  consign  it  to  Thee  through  the  hands 
of  Thy  needy  members,  and  never  will  that  be  lost 
which  is  under  Thy  charge. 


CXLVII. 


H  E  manner  of  playing  this  game  is,  to  bind  the 
eyes  of  one  of  the  company,  who  then  gropes 
about  blindfold,  and  is  all  the  while  pushed  and 
pulled  by  his  comrades,  until  he  can  lay  hold  of 
one  of  them,  who  must  thereupon  take  his  place. 
Gotthold,  coming  upon  a  party  of  young  people  who 
were  diverting  themselves  in  this  way,  inquired  of  a 
bystander,  What,  think  you,  is  the  commonest  game  in 
the  world  ?  In  my  opinion,  it  is  this.  Blind-man's 
buff  is  played  everywhere,  not  merely  by  children  and 


BLIND-MAN'S    BUFF.  235 

youths,  but  likewise,  although  unconsciously,  by  the  old 
and  wise.  I  here  recollect  the  pleasing  fancy  of  an  in- 
genious author,  who  figures  the  human  soul  as  a  shep- 
herdess at  play  with  Worldly  Wisdom,  Wealth,  Fame, 
and  Pleasure  ;  and  suffering  these  her  playmates  to 
bind  her  eyes  in  sport,  ignorant  that  they  are  all  the 
time  in.  secret  league  with  Satan,  who  slips  from  a 
wood,  and  catches  the  soul  rushing  blindfold  into  his 
arms.  This  beautiful  allegory  portrays  the  manner  in 
which  man,  blinded  by  the  world  and  his  own  fleshly 
desires,  departs  from  God,  and  unconsciously  falls  into 
the  snares  of  the  devil.  Alas,  0  Lord !  how  many 
thousand  thousand  souls  there  are  who  rush  in  this  very 
way,  with  bandaged  eyes,  darkened  senses,  and  har- 
dened hearts,  and  amidst  sport  and  laughter,  into 
Satan's  arms !  With  how  many  wise,  learned,  rich,  and 
respectable  people  he  is  daily  playing  at  blind-man's 
buff,  although  they  neither  think  nor  care  about  the 
matter  !  How  many  there  are  who  suffer  bad  company 
to  draw  a  cowl  over  their  head  ;  or  their  wives,  best 
friends,  and  nearest  relatives,  to  bind  a  handkerchief 
upon  their  eyes !  And  we  love  to  have  it  so,  because 
we  call  it  sport,  pleasure,  diversion,  love,  intimacy,  or  a 
joke.  In  short,  we  reckon  that  to  be  a  pastime  which 
exposes  the  soul  to  the  greatest  danger,  or  even  plunges 
it  into  perdition. 

Ah,  my  God !  keep  me  from  ever  playing  such  a 
game  !     Give  me  eyes  opened  and  enlightened  by  Thy 


2CG  INVISIBLE   WRITING. 

Holy  Spirit,  that  I  may  walk  in  the  light,  eschew  the 
deceitful  sports  of  the  devil  and  the  world,  and  escape 
in  safety  from  their  snares.  This,  0  my  Father !  Thou 
hast  hitherto  been  pleased  to  do.  Though  I  have  some- 
times been  persuaded  to  join  the  game,  Thou  hast  torn 
the  bandage  from  my  eyes,  and  delivered  my  soul ;  and 
for  this  be  thanks  and  praise  ascribed  unto  Thee 
through  all  eternity. 


CXLVIII. 


0  M  E  one  happened  to  say  that  characters  writ- 
ten upon  paper  with  orange  or  onion  juice,  and 
afterwards  dried,  cannot  at  first  be  seen  or  read, 
but  become  legible  the  moment  they  are  dipped 
in  water.  It  is  the  same,  said  Gotthold,  with 
men's  actions.  They  scarcely  take  notice  of  their 
sins,  or  at  least  soon  forget  and  are  little  concerned 
about  them.  ,  Let  God,  however,  immerse  their  con- 
science in  the  waves  of  trouble  and  the  pains  of 
death,  and  that  which  happened  to  the  prophet  hap- 
pens to  them.  They  behold  a  roll,  written  within 
and  without,  and  therein  lamentation,  and  mourning, 


THE  DIFFICULTY  OF  FAITH.  237 

and  woe.1  Wherefore,  let  us  live  good  and  Christian 
lives,  that  so,  when  it  pleases  our  God,  we  may  like- 
wise die  good  and  Christian  deaths. 


CXLIX. 

of 


>HO,  said  one  of  a  company,  would  really  re- 
fuse to  trust  the  blessed  God  ?  None  of  us, 
certainly,  said  Gotthold,  so  long  as  he  has  also 
faith  in  his  own  hand  or  purse  ;  otherwise,  to 
trust  in  God  is  a  difficult,  nay,  an  impossible 
task,  for  an  earthly-minded,  sinful,  and  timid  heart. 
Such  a  heart  cannot  trust  God  without  God's  help, 
nor  depend  upon  His  grace  without  His  grace's  aid. 
Faith  has  many  enemies  and  gainsayers  ;  and  there- 
fore it  is  a  fight,  and  only  keeps  its  ground  by  fight- 
ing. It  has  to  comprehend  the  great  God  arid  His 
whole  heaven  in  a  little  heart;  and  that  is  no  easy 
task.  A  mother  takes  and  carries  about  her  child 
in  her  arms  ;  soothes,  fondles,  kisses  it  ;  gives  it  meat 
and  drink,  and  is  very  patient  with  it.  But  how  long 
is  it  ere  the  child,  on  its  part,  learns  to  know  the 
mother,  returns  her  embraces  and  smiles,  and  shows 

l  Ezek.  ii.  10. 


238  THE    CIPHER. 

her  love  and  respect?  For  myself,  I  can  say  with 
thankfulness,  that  now,  through  many  trials,  conflicts, 
struggles,  temptations,  sighs,  and  prayers,  I  have  come 
so  far,  that  I  am  beginning  to  believe  that  God  is 
my  gracious  Father,  and  that  I  have  an  interest  in  the 
crucified  Jesus,  and  in  His  merits,  blood,  and  death. 
This  is  a  lesson  which  I  learn  from  day  to  day.  Like 
a  tender  infant  at  the  mother's  breast,  I  lie  at  the 
Saviour's  wounds,  and  imbibe  from  them  His  blood 
and  spirit,  that  I  may  grow  in  strength.  Lord,  I  be- 
lieve :  help  Thou  my  unbelief ! 


CL. 


^BSERVING  a  boy  taking  lessons  in  arithmetic, 
Gotthold  said:  There  is  here  much  to  suggest 
good  thoughts;  for  the  present,  however,  I 
will  select  the  cipher.  I  once  heard  of  a 
sagacious  man,  who,  being  on  his  death-bed, 
was  solicited  to  leave  some  memorial  to  his  friends. 
Unable  to  articulate,  he  made  signs  to  have  pen  and 
ink  brought  to  him,  and  with  these  traced  two  great 
circles,  or  nothings,  upon  a  sheet  of  paper.  After  his 


THE  CIPHER.  239 

decease,  there  was  much  speculation  what  these  could 
mean.  The  common  conjecture  was,  that  he  intended 
to  signify  that  the  body  and  the  soul  have  their  ap- 
pointed circuits,  and  that,  when  these  are  finished,  they 
return  severally  to  their  origin  —  the  body  to  the  earth, 
and  the  spirit  unto  God.1  In  my  opinion,  however,  the 
two  ciphers  must  have  been  intended  to  show  the  nullity 
of  all  terrestrial  things,  just  as  the  wisest  of  monarchs 
could  find  nothing  but  vanity  and  vexation  in  the  learn- 
ing, pleasures,  joys,  honor,  wealth,  and  glory  of  the 
world.2  In  fact,  these  are  like  the  rockets  which  at  fes- 
tivals are  discharged  to  amuse  the  crowd,  but  whose 
bright  shining,  and  towering  flame,  end  only  in  ashes. 
All  that  the  world  contains  may  justly  be  likened  to  a 
note  inscribed  with  a  series  of  such  ciphers,  each  of 
equal  value  with  the  other,  but  all  of  them  worth  noth- 
ing. Ye  men  of  learning,  what  is  all  your  erudition  ? 
A  fragrant  vapor,  with  which  you  entertain  yourselves 
and  others,  but  which  speedily  melts  into  the  air.  Ye 
great  philosophers,  what  is  your  wisdom  ?  A  spider's 
web,  woven  with  ingenuity  and  pains,  but  of  no  use 
save  to  catch  moths.  Ye  men  of  rank,  what  is  your 
dignity  ?  An  evening  shadow,  which,  the  longer  it  is, 
will  the  sooner  disappear.  Ye  rich,  what  is  your  abun- 
dant wealth  ?  A  rose  with  many  thorns ;  the  flower 
soon  withers,  but  the  thorns  remain.  Voluptuaries, 
what  is  your  pleasure  ?  A  sweet  dream,  which  leaves 

1  Eccles.  xii.  7.  2  Eccles.  ii.  8-11. 

16 


240  THE   NUMBER    BEFORE  THE  CIPHER. 

you  nothing  when  you  awake  but  unsatisfied  desire.  It 
is  a  rule  in  Christian  arithmetic,  that,  take  nothing  from 
nothing,  and  nothing  remains.  The  world  has  nothing, 
gives  nothing,  and  is  nothing. 


CLI. 


ONTINUING    his    remarks,   Gotthold    said: 
0))  The  children  of  God,  however,  are  acquainted 


with  an  art  by  which  they  can  make  some- 
thing out  of  nothing;  for,  if  to  several  ci- 
phers, otherwise  of  no  value,  I  prefix  a 
number,  they  then  amount  to  several  thousands. 
And,  even  so,  the  whole  world,  were  I  to  possess 
it,  would  do  me  no  good  without  the  grace  of  God 
in  Christ.  If,  however,  I  prefer  Jesus  to  worldly 
things,  —  that  is,  if  I  receive  them  humbly,  as  a 
loan,  from  the  hand  of  my  Redeemer,  and  use  them, 
in  faith  and  love,  to  His  glory,  —  they  then  acquire 
a  high  value,  and  may  have  the  honor  of  being  en- 
tered into  the  day-book  and  ledger  of  God. 

Lord  Jesus  !  out  of  Thee,  all  things  are  nothing  ; 
and  in  Thee,  nothing  is  all.  Riches  are  nothing, 
unless  they  minister  to  Thy  poverty;  the  loftiest 
rank  is  nothing,  if  it  seek  not  its  honor  in  Thy 


THE    WATCH.  241 

ignominy  and  thorny  crown ;  knowledge  is  nothing, 
if  it  knows  not  Thee;  and  pleasure  nothing,  if  it 
is  not  tempered  and  sanctified  by  Thy  cross.  In 
short,  the  world  is  the  world,  and  nothing  but  Jesus 
is  Jesus,  and  all. 


CLII. 


BSERYING  that  one  of  his  friends  always  car- 
ried his  watch  about  with  him,  looked  at  it  while 
travelling  or  transacting  other  important  busi- 
ness, nay,  not  unfrequently  even  took  it  out  in 
company,  to  ascertain  how  time  was  going,  Gott- 
hold  thus  mused  with  himself:  If  nothing  be  more  pre- 
cious than  the  fleeting  time  which  the  Most  High  has 
allotted  to  man  for  living  and  doing  good,  it  is  certainly 
a  commendable  practice  to  weigh  it  as  if  in  scales,  and 
portion  it  out  with  the  utmost  care  and  exactness,  re- 
flecting on  the  words  of  the  apostle :  As  we  have  there- 
fore opportunity  (time),  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men.1 
The  true  watch,  however,  which,  at  little  cost,  though 
with  great  benefit,  I  shall  carry  about  with  me,  is  the 

l  Galatians  vi.  10. 


242  THE   RING. 

fear  of  my  God ;  and  of  this  I  shall  appoint  my  con- 
science inspector,  that  I  may  do  nothing  but  what  is 
well-pleasing  to  Him,  and  required  by  the  brevity  of 
life.  A  conscientious  heart  goes  perpetually  like  a 
watch,  and,  if  we  attend  to  it,  will  tell  us  correctly 
what  the  hour  is,  and  when  it  is  time  either  for  walk- 
ing circumspectly,  forsaking  sin,  or  turning  to  God. 

Thou  faithful  God !  I  thank  Thee  for  having  put  the 
watch  of  conscience  into  the  breast  of  man,  and  that, 
amidst  all  his  enjoyments  and  employments,  it  strikes 
the  hour  so  clearly  that  he  cannot  choose  but  hear  it. 
Grant  me  grace  piously  to  regulate  my  actions  by  it, 
and  to  lose  no  opportunity  of  doing  good. 


CLIII. 


LADY  of  quality  once  asked  Gotthold  what 
lessons  in  the  practice  of  piety  she  should 
learn  from  the  gold  rings  upon  her  fingers. 
Let  the  marriage  one,  he  replied,  remind  you 
that  your  soul  is  the  bride  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
espoused  to  Him  in  faith;  and  for  this  reason,  be  at 
all  times  true  to  Him,  and  strive  to  keep  your  soul, 


THE  RING.  £43 

like  a  pure  and  chaste  virgin,  unspotted  from  the 
world  and  its  pollutions.  When  worldly  and  sinful 
thoughts  intrude  into  your  mind,  consider  that  they 
are  the  unchaste  suggestions  of  Satan,  who  would 
fain  estrange  you  from  the  Lord  Jesus.  If  there  be 
a  stone  set  in  the  ring,  reflect  that,  in  the  same  way, 
Christ,  the  bright  jasper  and  ruby,  must  be  embraced 
by  our  faith ;  because,  of  itself,  faith  is  of  little  worth, 
but  with  Christ,  and  through  Him,  is  worth  heaven 
itself. 


CLIV. 

gbtritaiicit  an  fy 


ROCEEDING,  Gotthold  said:  As  the  right 
hand,  by  wielding  the  pen  or  sword,  and  under- 
going all  kinds  of  toil,  earns  and  procures 
^  the  rings,  and  yet  must  often  resign  to  the 
left,  which  does  less  of  the  work,  the  honor 
of  wearing  them ;  even  so,  remember  that  in  the 
world  they  who  merit  honor  most  are  frequently  des- 
titute of  it ;  and  look  to  yourself,  whether  the  honor 
you  enjoy  has  been  really  deserved ;  or  whether,  for 
example,  men  merely  call  you  a  Christian,  and  say 


244  WHEA  T. 

you  are  virtuous,  godly,  benevolent,  while  perhaps 
you  are  conscious  of  never  having  yet  earnestly  at- 
tempted to  be  what  these  names  imply  that  you  are. 


CLV. 


0  OK  ING  on  one  day  while  a  farmer's  wheat 
was  being  thrashed,  Gotthold  observed  that  the 
men  not  only  stoutly  beat  it,  but  trode  upon 
it  with  their  feet ;  and,  finally,  by  various 
expedients,  separated  the  good  grain  from  the 
chaff,  dust,  and  other  impurities.  How  comes  it,  he 
asked  himself,  that  whatever  is  of  a  useful  nature,  and 
intended  to  be  profitable  to  the  world,  must  suffer 
much,  and  be  subjected  to  every  kind  of  ill-treatment ; 
but  that  man,  who  himself  does  with  other  things  as  he 
lists,  is  unwilling  to  suffer,  or  permit  God  to  deal  as  He 
lists  with  him  ?  Wheat,  which  is  the  noblest  of  all  the 
products  of  the  earth,  is  here  thrashed,  trode  upon, 
swept  about,  tossed  in  the  air,  sifted,  shaken  and  shov- 
elled, and  afterwards  ground,  re-sifted,  and  baked,  and 
so  arrives  at  last  upon  the  tables  of  princes  and  kings. 
What,  then,  do  I  mean  in  being  displeased  with  God, 
because  He  does  not  strew  my  path  with  rose-leaves,  or 
translate  me  to  heaven  in  an  easy-chair  ?  By  what 


LOSS   OF  MEMORY.  245 

other  process  could  the  wheat  be  cleaned?  and  how 
could  I  be  sanctified  or  saved,  were  I  to  remain  a 
stranger  to  the  cross,  and  to  affliction  ? 

Deal  with  me,  therefore,  0  my  God!  as  Thou  wilt, 
and  grant  that  what  is  Thy  will,  may  also  be  mine. 
Thrash,  toss,  and  sift  me,  that  at  last  I  may  appear  as 
white  and  pure  bread  upon  Thy  table.  I  will  suffer  all 
the  more  willingly,  knowing,  as  I  do,  the  words  of  Thy 
servant :  Bread-corn  is  bruised,  and  yet  not  destroyed 
by  thrashing.  This  also  is  done  by  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
who  is  wonderful  in  counsel,  and  excellent  in  working.1 


CLVI. 

0f 


ROM  the  letter  of  a  friend,  Gotthold  learned 
that  a  man  of  learning,  with  whom  he  was  ac- 
quainted, had  lost  his  memory,  and  thereby 
been  incapacitated  for  all  business  of  impor- 
*  tance.  Having  often  both  heard  and  read  of 
similar  cases,  he  reflected  upon  them,  and  ere  long  con- 
vinced himself  that  the  Most  High  has  good  reasons  for 
permitting  them  to  happen.  They  serve  to  teach  men 
that  it  is  in  His  power  to  deprive  them  of  intellectual 
gifts,  no  less  than  of  goods  of  fortune  and  advantages 

1  Isaiah  xxviii.  28,  29     Luth.  ver. 


246  LOSS   OF  MEMORY. 

of  person ;  and,  consequently,  that  in  every  respect  He 
is  their  Lord  Superior.  And  this  lesson  should  induce 
them  to  fear  and  love  Him,  and  to  use  all  things  for 
the  advancement  of  His  glory,  and  in  accordance  with 
His  will. 

Moreover,  he  proceeded,  I  am  not  sure  whether  a 
retentive  memory  is  absolutely  preferable  to  a  feeble 
one  or  not.  No  doubt  the  memory  is  a  treasury  in 
which  a  fund  of  sound  and  useful  knowledge,  experi- 
ence, precepts,  and  instances,  may  be  collected  and  pre- 
served. By  many  a  one,  however,  it  is  filled  with  things 
which  are  evil,  and  which,  in  place  of  promoting,  prove 
a  great  hinderance  to  holiness  and  salvation.  Happy 
the  man  who  always  remembers  —  1st,  his  sin,  that  he 
may  be  kept  from  security,  and  pride,  exercise  constant 
repentance,  and,  with  faith  and  humility,  have  recourse 
to  God's  mercy  and  the  Saviour's  merits ;  2d,  the  bene- 
fits he  has  received  from  others  —  that  he  may  show  his 
gratitude;  3d,  death  —  that,  like  a  Christian,  he  may 
prepare  for  its  approach.  But  happy,  likewise,  the  man 
who  totally  forgets  —  1st,  his  own  good  deeds,  so  as 
never  to  vaunt  them  before  God  or  man,  nor  in  heart 
or  word  upbraid  those  to  whom  they  were  done ;  2d, 
the  injuries  and  affronts  he  has  received  from  others,  so  as 
never  to  indulge  anger  or  revenge  ;  and  3d,  lost  property, 
so  as  not  vainly  to  distress  and  vex  himself  with  cares. 

Vouchsafe  to  me,  0  my  God !  this  kind  of  memory, 
and  this  kind  of  forgetfulness. 


(g7 


THE  DEATH  OF   THE  CHRISTIAN.  247 


CLVII. 

Qoijr  0f  ilj*  Christian. 


HE  Christian,  at  his  death,  said  Gotthold,  should 
not  he  like  the  child  who  is  forced  by  the  rod  to 
quit  his  play,  but  like  one  who  is  wearied  of 
it,  and  willing  to  go  to  bed.  Neither  ought  he 
to  be  like  the  mariner  whose  vessel  is  drifted,  by 
the  violence  of  the  tempest,  from  the  shore,  tossed  to 
and  fro  upon  the  ocean,  and  at  last  suffers  wreck  and 
destruction  ;  but  like  one  who  is  ready  for  the  voyage, 
and,  the  moment  the  wind  is  favorable,  cheerfully 
weighs  anchor,  and,  full  of  hope  and  joy,  launches  forth 
into  the  deep.  The  pious  monk  Staupitz,  says  :  Die  as 
Christ  did,  and  then,  beyond  all  doubt,  your  death  will 
be  good  and  blessed.  But  how,  then,  did  Christ  die  ? 
No,  man,  He  Himself  says,  taketh  My  life  from  Me,  but 
I  lay  it  down  Myself;1  and  St.  Luke  tells  us  that,  when 
the  time  was  come  that  He  should  be  received  up,  He 
steadfastly  set  His  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem  ;  that  is,  He 
took  the  way  to  it  with  a  confident  and  cheerful  heart, 
and  an  intrepid  look.  Let  us  follow  this  great  Forerun- 
ner ;  and,  that  we  may  do  it  with  alacrity  and  confidence, 
and  be  at  all  times  ready,  let  us  so  order  our  affairs, 
that,  when  we  come  to  die,  we  may  have  nothing  else  to 

1  John  x.  18. 


248  THE  ALTAR. 

do.     Thus  should  it  be  with  me  while  I  write,  and  thus 
with  you  while  you  read  my  words. 

Lord  Jesus,  beloved  Saviour !  do  Thou  Thyself  make 
us  ready. 


CLVIII. 


CHRISTIAN  gentleman  and  his  lady  had 
presented  to  a  church  a  new  and  costly  altar, 
tastefully  carved,  and  richly  decorated  with 
gold.  Gotthold,  having  gone  with  a  friend 
to  inspect  it,  observed:  It  greatly  delights  me 
to  see  that  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  still 
felt,  and  still  proclaimed  before  the  world,  by  monu- 
ments like  this.  Our  dearly-beloved  Saviour  has,  in 
the  venerable  sacrament  of  the  Supper,  instituted  a 
memorial  of  His  love  for  us.  Why  should  not  we, 
according  to  our  means,  and  prompted  by  a  believing 
and  grateful  heart,  bequeath  a  monument  of  reciprocal 
affection  to  Him  ?  I  remember  the  words  of  a  pious 
Jew,  who  says,  "  Were  the  entire  globe  to  be  suddenly 
converted  into  a  lump  of  gold,  and  the  hands  of  skilful 
artists  forthwith  to  construct  it  into  mansions  and  tem- 
ples, it  would  still  be  unfit  even  for  the  footstool  of  our 
Lord."  And  what  is  all  the  gold  of  the  world,  com- 


THE  BILL  OF  EXCHANGE  AND  RICHES.   249 

pared  to  the  blood  and  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ? 
Know,  however,  that  the  very  humblest  among  His 
holy  and  believing  friends  can  erect  a  better  and  more 
costly  altar  than  this.  The  Jew  annexes  to  the  words 
which  we  have  quoted,  "  That,  nevertheless,  the  holy 
soul  is  God's  favorite  habitation ;  "  and  I  will  say,  that 
the  penitent  and  believing  heart  is  the  most  beautiful 
of  altars.  Such  an  altar,  however,  every  godly  man 
can  erect,  without  expense ;  and,  consequently,  even 
poverty  has  no  excuse  for  refusing  it. 

Well  then,  Lord  Jesus,  make  an  altar  of  my  heart, 
and  let  it  be  consecrated  in  faith  and  love  wholly  and 
exclusively  to  Thy  service.  Here  will  I  offer  to  Thee 
my  understanding,  will,  and  memory  —  my  tears,  sighs, 
and  prayers ;  and  thus  be  at  once  both  altar  and  priest. 


CLIX. 

0f  <£*ratt      antr 


LARGE  sum  had  been  remitted  to  Gotthold, 
for  one  of  the  members  of  his  family,  by  a  bill 
of  exchange.  When  the  money  was  being 
paid,  he  observed  on  the  countenances  of  the 
bystanders  the  astonishment  commonly  felt, 
especially  by  the  young,  at  the  sight  of  so  considerable 


250    THE  BILL  OF  EXCHANGE  AND  RICHES. 

a  quantity  of  coin,  and  took  occasion  to  say :  Learn  in 
youth  to  withstand  the  fascination  of  money,  and  not 
to  contemplate  it  with  pleasure  or  appetence,  as  if  it 
were  some  excellent  and  precious  thing.  It  is,  in  fact, 
glittering  earth,  and  nothing  more.  Unstable  and  fugi- 
tive, it  flits  from  one  to  another,  and  is  like  the  with- 
ered leaves  which  the  wind  drives  to  and  fro,  and  col- 
lects here  in  one  heap,  there  in  another.  I  know  not 
whether  there  exists  such  a  thing  as  a  coin  stamped 
with  a  pair  of  pinions ;  but  I  wish  this  were  the  device 
which  monarchs  put  upon  their  dollars  and  ducats,  to 
show  that  riches  make  to  themselves  wings  and  fly 
away.  Even,  however,  if  wealth  were  more  permanent, 
in  what  respect  is  man  the  better  for  it  ?  The  rich  have 
little  advantage  over  their  poorer  brethren  in  the  chief 
things  of  this  life.  They  are  born  like  others ;  like 
them,  they  eat  and  drink  —  greater  dainties,  perhaps, 
but  with  less  appetite,  and  no  other  effect  than  allaying 
hunger ;  like  them,  they  wear  raiment,  which  answers 
no  other  purpose  than  to  cover  and  protect  the  body ; 
like  them,  they  are  fretted  with  cares,  and  to  a  greater 
degree,  because  desire  is  wont  to  grow  with  possession ; 
like  them,  too,  they  sicken,  and  like  them  they  die. 
They  must  then  part  with  all  their  money,  and  little 
good  will  it  do  them  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ 
to  have  once  possessed  it.  The  rich  give  their  children 
gold  and  silver  pieces  to  play  with ;  other  children  have 
only  counters  for  the  purpose,  or  manufacture  money 


THE  BILL    OF   EXCHANGE  AND   RICHES.       251 

for  themselves,  of  bits  of  paper  and  broken  pottery. 
But  the  one  child  grows  weary  of  the  game,  and  goes 
to  bed  quite  as  soon  as  the  other.  It  is  the  same  with 
us  old  men :  Life  is  a  game,  and,  whatever  our  play- 
things may  be,  we  must  part  with  them  at  last,  and 
resign  them  into  the  hands  of  others.  Let  us,  there- 
fore, learn  to  look  upon  money  with  disdain,  and  to 
reflect,  when  we  see  it,  Of  what  use  will  it  be  to  me 
on  a  death-bed,  or  when  arraigned  at  the  tribunal  of 
Christ  ?  The  more  of  it  I  have,  the  greater  my  respon- 
sibility. God  is  better  than  gold;  rather  let  me  be 
rich  in  Him,  than  rich  in  the  world  and  its  things.  If 
riches,  however,  be  allotted  to  you,  forget  not  to  trans- 
fer some  portion  of  them,  by  bills  of  exchange,  to 
heaven,  in  order  that,  when  you  yourself  follow,  you 
may  find  a  provision  laid  up  there.  Bestow  your  money 
on  the  needy  members  of  Christ.  They  will  give  you, 
in  return,  their  pious  sighs  and  intercessions  as  a  bill 
of  exchange,  which  will  be  accepted  in  heaven,  and,  as 
merchants  say,  paid  at  sight.  This  is  the  best  method 
of  insuring  property,  and  enjoying  it  even  when  life  is 
past.  But,  alas !  as  an  excellent  doctor  of  our  own  day 
observes,  God  has  little  credit  in  the  world.  He  says  : 
Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you.  But  no  one  will 
accept  the  security,  alleging,  What  I  have,  I  have ;  what 
I  may  get,  who  can  tell  ?  But  if  thou,  O  world  !  wilt 
not  trust  God  and  His  Word,  I,  for  my  part,  will  do  it 
cheerfully  ;  and  time  will  show  which  of  us  fares  the  best. 


252  THE  PILLOW, 


CLX. 


)ENTION  having  been  made  of  some  one 
who  had  received  a  considerable  inheritance, 
one  of  the  company  remarked  that  it  would 
be  a  comfortable  pillow  for  him;  meaning 
that,  with  such  affluent  means,  he  would 
now  have  no  occasion  to  vex  his  mind,  or  disturb 
his  rest  with  cares.  Said  Gotthold :  And  so  you 
fancy  that  the  softest  kind  of  pillow  on  which  to 
rest  the  head  is  a  bag  of  money.  What  if  I  could 
prove  that  they  sleep  least  who  have  most  money, 
and  that,  with  great  riches,  there  is  often  little  rest. 
We  all  know  the  story  of  the  Emperor  Sigismund, 
who,  having  on  one  occasion  received  forty  thousand 
ducats,  arid  lain  awake  the  whole  of  the  following 
night,  thinking  how  to  spend  them,  made  it  his  first 
business  in  the  morning  to  distribute  them  among 
the  most  deserving  of  his  courtiers.  Experience 
shows  us  that  wealth  is  often  accompanied  by  ava- 
rice, than  which  there  is  no  greater  foe  to  sleep. 
Granting,  however,  that  a  large  fortune  is  a  com- 
fortable pillow  to  a  man  while  he  lives,  what  will 
it  do  for  him  when  he  comes  to  die  ?  Let  me  also 
remind  you  that  there  is  also  another  kind  of  pillow, 


THE  PILLOW.  253 

— I  mean  a  false  trust  in  the  divine  grace  and  mercy, 
or  in  the  sincerity  of  our  faith,  or  in  the  pardon  of 
our  sins,  or  in  a  death-bed  repentance,  or  in  our  right 
to  eternal  life,  —  of  which  many  a  wicked  man,  though 
continuing  in  presumptuous  sins,  ventures  to  boast. 
This  pillow  is  prepared  by  Satan,  who  can  transform 
himself  not  only  into  an  angel  of  light,  but  also  into 
a  comforter.  He  suckles  his  children  with  false  hope, 
sings  to  them  a  sweet  song,  and  rocks  them  into  the 
sleep  of  security.  May  God,  in  His  mercy,  preserve 
us  from  such  a  pillow  as  this  ! 


CLXI. 

on 


lELIEVERS  and  good  men,  continued  Gott- 
hold,  have  the  best  of  all  pillows  ;  and  that 
is  the  bosom  of  Jesus,  in  which  they  find 
c  _  the  grace  of  God,  rest  for  their  souls,  and 
*  peace  to  their  consciences.  They  are  like 
children  who,  after  having  walked  all  day  in  filial 
obedience,  when  evening  comes,  kiss  their  parents' 
hand,  receive  their  blessing,  go  to  bed  with  them 
in  the  same  chamber,  and  calmly  and  securely  fall 


254  THE  PILLOW. 

asleep  under  their  eye.  He  who,  in  faith,  has  re- 
clined his  head  upon  the  breast  and  heart  of  Jesus, 
resigned  himself  wholly  to  God,  and  learned  to  trust 
in  His  fatherly  goodness  and  care,  and  to  keep  a  con- 
science pure  and  void  of  oifence,  cannot  but  sleep 
quietly ;  for,  though  his  body  wake,  his  soul  reposes 
upon  this  pillow,  and  is  undisturbed. 


CLXII. 


^OTTHOLD  further  said:  A  good  man,  when 
he  happened  to  be  overtaken  by  adversity,  and 
felt  his  head  and  heart  harassed  with  anxi- 
eties, used  to  take  the  Bible,  read  and 
searched  in  it  until  he  came  to  some  comforting  text 
suitable  to  his  case  ;  and  then,  with  his  head  upon 
the  book,  pondered  and  inwardly  digested  the  words 
until  he  fell  asleep.  On  awakening,  he  generally 
found  that  his  cares  were  gone,  resigned  himself  to 
the  fatherly  will  of  God,  and  thus  found  comfort  and 
rest  for  his  soul.  What  think  you  of  such  a  pillow 
as  this  ? 


BEAUTY.  255 

Lord  Jesus !  Thou  art  the  refuge  of  my  soul,  the 
pillow  of  my  head,  the  comfort  and  portion  of  my 
heart.  Wide  as  it  is,  the  world  is  not  large  enough 
to  be  my  place  of  rest.  When  Thou  didst  become 
man,  and  enter  it  as  a  babe,  Thou  wert  content  to 
lie  in  a  manger.1  Nor  was  it  a  hard  bed,  as  we 
might  fancy ;  for  it  was  spread  for  Thee  by  Thy 
Father's  will,  and  Thy  own  love  to  man.  For  me, 
let  them  spread  the  couch,  in  this  world,  how  and 
where  they  please  ;  in  the  sacred  will  of  my  God, 
and  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  will  tranquilly  repose. 


CLXIII. 


EARING  a  young  lady  highly  praised  for  her 
beauty,  Gotthold  asked  :  What  kind  of  beauty 
do  you  mean  ?  —  merely  that  of  the  body,  or 
that  also  of  the  mind  ?  I  see  well  that  you 
have  been  looking  no  further  than  the  sign 
which  nature  displays  outside  the  house,  but  have  never 
asked  for  the  host  who  dwells  within.  Beauty  is  an 
excellent  gift  of  God,  nor  has  the  pen  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  forgotten  to  speak  its  praise  ;  but  it  is  virtuous 

l  Luke  ii.  7. 

17 


256  BEAUTY. 

and  godly  beauty  alone  which  Scripture  honors,  ex- 
pressly declaring,  on  the  other  hand,  that  a  fair  woman 
which  is  without  discretion  is  as  a  jewel  of  gold  in  a 
swine's  snout.1  Many  a  pretty  girl  is  like  the  flower 
called  the  imperial  crown,  which  is  admired,  no  doubt, 
for  its  showy  appearance,  but  despised  for  its  unpleasant 
odor.  Were  her  mind  as  free  from  pride,  selfishness, 
luxury,  and  levity,  as  her  countenance  from  spots  or 
wrinkles,  and  could  she  govern  her  inward  inclinations 
as  she  does  her  external  carriage,  she  would  have  none 
to  match  her.  But  who  loves  the  caterpillar,  and  such 
insects,  however  showy  their  appearance,  and  bright 
and  variegated  the  colors  that  adorn  them,  seeing  they 
injure  and  defile  the  trees  and  plants  on  which  they 
settle  ?  What  the  better  is  an  apple  for  its  rosy  skin, 
if  the  maggot  have  penetrated  and  devoured  its  heart  ? 
What  care  I  for  the  beautiful  brown  of  the  nut,  if  it  be 
worm-eaten,  and  fill  the  mouth  with  corruption  ?  Even 
so,  external  beauty  of  person  deserves  no  praise,  unless 
matched  with  the  inward  beauty  of  virtue  and  holiness. 
It  is,  therefore,  far  better  to  acquire  beauty  than  to  be 
born  with  it.  The  best  kind  is  that  which  does  not 
wither  at  the  touch  of  fever,  like  a  flower,  but  lasts  and 
endures  on  a  bed  of  sickness,  in  old  age,  and  even  at 
death. 

My  God !  my  beauty  exists  only  in  the  sunshine  of 
Thy  grace.     Without  light,  nothing  is  beautiful ;  and, 

1  Proverbs  xi.  22. 


THE  CONCEPTION  OF  A    PORTRAIT.  257 

unless  irradiated  by  Thy  goodness,  every  object  is  ugly 
and  hideous.  Lord  Jesus !  Thou  fairest  of  the  sons  of 
men !  shed  on  my  poor  soul  the  beams  of  Thy  love ;  that 
is  all  the  beauty  I  desire. 


CLXIV. 

tianttytian  of  a 


I  SITING  a  painter,  who  was  both  a  skilful 
artist  and  a  pious  Christian,  Gotthold  said :  A 
painter  requires,  by  long  and  repeatedly  view- 
ing the  countenance  he  has  to  paint,  to  impress 
it,  in  the  first  instance,  on  his  heart,  in  order 
afterwards,  as  far  as  possible,  to  produce  it  with  colors 
upon  the  canvas.  And,  in  the  same  way,  it  is  upon 
the  heart  that  the  image  of  Jesus  Christ  must  first  be 
formed,  and  then  afterwards  transferred  into  a  holy  life, 
and  an  affectionate  and  godly  walk.  Once  impressed 
upon  the  heart,  it  will  soon  show  itself  in  the  thoughts, 
words,  actions,  and  gestures.  And,  in  this  work,  never 
must  we  grow  weary  or  dispirited.  A  picture  is  not 
painted  at  a  stroke,  but  is  brought  by  slow  degrees, 
after  many  sittings,  and  with  cautious  touches,  to  per- 
fection. To  have  the  Saviour  formed  in  his  heart,  and 
copied  into  his  life,  is  a  task  which  will  last  the  Chris- 


258  THE    ONLY  CHILD. 

tian  all  his  days ;  and,  oh  me !  how  many  interruptions 
will  he  meet,  and  how  often  will  what  has  cost  him 
much  painful  labor  be  obliterated !  We  must  not, 
however,  be  discouraged,  remembering  that  our  very 
errors  are  lessons,  and  that  perfection  is  the  offspring 
of  imperfection. 

Lord  Jesus!  deign  to  accept  our  poor  efforts  and 
good-will ;  and  do  Thou  Thyself  impress  Thine  image 
upon  our  hearts,  that  it  may  also  be  outwardly  recog- 
nized in  our  good  conversation. 


CLXV. 


(MARRIED  couple,  of  rank  and  fortune,  had 
an  only  son,  and,  as  usually  happens  in  such 
cases,  loved  and  admired  him  to  excess.  He 
was  the  delight  of  their  eyes  and  the  comfort 
r  of  their  hearts.  They  would  not  permit  the 
cold  wind  to  blow,  nor  an  unfriendly  face  to  look  upon 
him,  and  in  all  things  gave  him  his  will.  Gotthold  saw 
this,  and  remarked  :  Beware  how  you  provoke  God  to 
jealousy,  and,  by  the  intemperance  of  your  affection, 
vitally  injure  your  son  !  Do  you  fancy  that  the  Most 
High  has  given  you  an  idol  to  make  you  forget  Him- 
self ?  It  would  be  strange  conduct  for  a  bride,  having 


THE  ONLY  CHILD.  259 

received  a  picture  from  her  bridegroom,  were  she  to 
become  so  enamored  of  the  gift  as  to  lose  all  thought 
of  the  giver;  and  yet  this  is  what  you  do.  God  has 
given  you  your  child,  that  the  sight  of  him,  from  time 
to  time,  might  remind  you  of  His  goodness,  and  induce 
you  to  praise  Him  with  filial  reverence.  You,  however, 
have  set  your  hearts  so  wholly  upon  your  son,  that  I 
know  not  whether  you  have  any  leisure  to  think  of  your 
Heavenly  Father.  This  is  like  the  fondness  of  apes, 
which  caress  and  kiss  their  offspring  to  death.  It  is  like 
the  ivy  or  hop  twining  around  the  young  and  fruitful 
tree,  till  at  last  they  strangle  it.  Let  it  be  your  study 
to  rear  and  possess  not  a  son  merely,  but  likewise  a 
godly  son.  Indulging  a  child  is  like  exposing  a  cask  to 
the  sun  or  hot  air :  it  shrinks,  and  if  it  do  not  fall  to 
pieces,  at  least  becomes  incapable  of  holding  liquid.  In 
the  same  way,  parental  affection,  when  carried  to  excess, 
and  unrestrained  by  reason  and  piety,  is  the  ruin  of  chil- 
dren, and  renders  them  unfit  for  all  sound  doctrine  and 
virtue. 

After  pausing  for  a  while,  Gotthold  continued,  and 
said  :  This  only  son  of  yours  reminds  me  that  man  has 
but  one  soul.1  Oh !  how  desirable  that  it  were  as  much 
the  object  of  his  love  and  attention,  as  your  son  is  of 
yours !  In  truth,  however,  many  act  as  recklessly  as 
if  they  had  ten  souls  in  reserve,  not  reflecting  that  by 
losing  the  one,  they  lose  all,  and  that  all  forever. 

l  Psalm  xxii.  20. 


260  THE    WILL. 

Besides,  0  my  God !  I  have  also  to  consider  that  my 
soul  is  not  my  own,  but  Thine.  Thou  hast  purchased  it 
with  the  blood  of  Thy  Son,  and  ought  I  to  steal  from 
Thee  what  has  cost  Thee  so  great  a  price  ?  And  yet,  my 
Father,  I  am  quite  unfit  for  the  custody  of  so  precious 
a  jewel.  Too  surely  would  I  neglect  and  lose  it.  Thou 
Thyself  must  best  know  how  to  keep  what  has  cost 
Thee  so  dear. 


CLXVI. 

mm. 


OTTHOLD  had  to  do  with  a  will  in  which  his 
family  were  concerned,  and  which  caused  him 
all  kinds  of  trouble  and  inconvenience.  Con- 
versing on  the  subject  with  an  influential  friend, 
he  said  :  It  is  much  to  be  deplored  that  that 
equity  for  which  the  widow  prayed  is  now  no  longer  to 
be  found,  and  that,  as  the  Scriptures  express  it,  judg- 
ment is  turned  to  wormwood,  and  righteousness  cast  to 
the  ground.1  Gentlemen  of  the  law  appear  to  me,  for 
the  most  part,  to  be  like  persons  wandering  in  a  forest, 
who  have  been  so  perplexed  amongst  the  bushes  and 
brakes,  that  they  can  no  longer  find  their  way  out. 

1  Amos  r.  7.    Luth.  vers. 


ANOTHER    WILL.  261 

What  sort  of  grapes  they  gather  from  the  thorns,  and 
figs  from  the  thistles,  it  is  easy  to  conceive. 

There  is,  however,  another  Testament,  about  which 
I  shall  concern  myself  more ;  I  mean  that  which  the 
Saviour  wrote  shortly  before  His  decease,  and  in  which 
He  nominated  believers  His  heirs.  He  had  never  either 
cared  or  sought  for  temporal  things,  and  became  at  last 
so  poor  as  not  to  have  even  a  coat ;  and  therefore  He 
could  not  bequeath  to  them  wealth.  All  He  possessed 
was  His  cross,  His  thorny  crown,  His  blooc},  His  Holy 
Spirit,  His  sweet  consolations,  and  His  loving  heart. 
These,  therefore,  He  has  left  to  us  ;  and  I  rejoice  in  the 
bequest.  Satan  would  fain  dispute  the  Will ;  but  it  is 
well  attested,  and  I  have  already  entered  into  possession 
of  the  property. 


CLXVII. 

an0ijf*r  mill 

'N  order  not  to  appear  ungrateful,  proceeded  Gott- 
hold,  I  too  will  indite  and  leave  behind  me  a 
testament.      I  recollect  a  story,  told  by  one 
heathen  of  another,  in  the  following  terms: 
Eudamidas,  a  citizen  of  Corinth,  died  in  pov- 
erty ;   but,  having  two  wealthy  friends,  Arctaeus  and 


262  ANOTHER    WILL. 

Charixenus,  he  left  behind  him  the  following  testament : 
In  virtue  of  this  my  last  will,  I  bequeath  to  Arctseus  my 
aged  mother,  to  be  taken  home  to  his  house,  and  sup- 
ported for  the  remainder  of  her  life  ;  to  Charixenus  I 
bequeath  my  daughter,  to  be  portioned  and  honorably 
fitted  out  by  him,  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  In  the 
event,  however,  of  either  of  the  two  dying,  my  will  is, 
that  the  survivor  shall  supply  the  place  of  the  deceased. 
This  testament  occasioned  much  mirth  and  laughter. 
The  two  legatees,  however,  were  pleased  with  the  testi- 
mony it  gave  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  them  by  their 
departed  friend ;  and  as,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days, 
Charixenus  departed  this  life,  Arcta3us  undertook  the 
double  trust,  and  affectionately  executed  it.  If  heathens, 
then,  thus  trusted,  and  showed  themselves  so  faith- 
ful to  each  other,  even  after  their  decease,  why  should 
not  I  cherish  a  far  greater  confidence  in  the  most  faith- 
ful of  all  friends,  my  beloved  Master,  Jesus  ?  I  hereby, 
therefore,  nominate  Him  my  sole  heir,  bequeathing  and 
consigning  to  Him,  first,  my  soul,  and  next,  my  chil- 
dren, sisters,  blood  relations,  and  acquaintances,  that  He 
may  adopt,  protect,  keep,  and  provide  for  them,  by  His 
mighty  power  unto  salvation.  The  whole  residue  of  the 
estate  which  I  leave  behind  me  in  the  world,  shall  be 
entrusted  to  His  holy  counsel  and  will,  that  He  may  do 
and  deal  with  it  as  He  lists,  to  the  advancement  of  His 
glory,  and  the  salvation  of  those  I  leave  behind. 


THE    SATIATED    CHILD.  263 


CLXVIII. 


CHILD,  after  a  full  meal,  had  asked  a  slice 
¥  of  bread,  and,  sitting  down,  broke  it  into 
crumbs.  Here,  said  Gotthold,  see  the  con- 
sequences of  superfluity,  and  what  harm  it 
does  our  corrupt  nature  to  have  more  than 
it  needs.  This  child,  if  hungry,  would  eat  the  whole- 
some bread  with  relish,  and  not  willingly  lose  a 
crumb.  Now,  however,  that  he  is  satisfied,  he  plays 
with  it,  and  wastes  it.  And  we  older  children  do 
the  same.  Hard  times  are  best  for  teaching  us  econ- 
omy and  the  prudent  and  grateful  use  of  the  gifts 
of  God.  Superfluity  has  always  an  attendant,  whose 
name  is  prodigality  ;  and  never  are  more  sins  com- 
mitted than  when  God  is  most  generous  to  the  world, 
and  pours  out  His  blessings  like  an  overflowing  flood. 
On  the  other  hand,  never  do  men  look  so  often  or 
so  earnestly  to  heaven,  as  when  the  bread-basket  is 
lifted  above  their  reach,  and  dearth  teaches  them  how 
precious  is  the  Divine  blessing. 

Merciful  God!  I  cannot  say  how  it  would  be  best 
to  treat  the  world.  For  when  Thou  givest  little,  it 
murmurs  and  complains  :  and  when  Thou  givest  much, 
vaunts  and  plays  the  fool.  0  my  Father!  exercise 


264  WASHING   THE  HANDS. 

forbearance  with  its  folly.  For  my  own  part,  I  will 
desire  neither  poverty  nor  riches,  neither  want  nor 
abundance.  In  either  condition,  I  have  no  confi- 
dence in  myself.  One  thing,  however,  I  know  I 
wish,  —  give  me,  0  my  Father !  what  is  agreeable  to 
Thy  will. 


CLXIX. 


morning,  as  Gotthold  was  pouring  water  into 
a  basin,  he  recollected  the  words  of  Scripture  : 
I  will  wash  mine  hands  in  innocency  l  —  a  text 
which  shows  how  diligently  the  Royal  Prophet 
had  endeavored  to  lead  a  blameless  life,  and 
walk  habitually  in  the  fear  of  God.  Upon  this  he 
mused,  and  said  :  Henceforth,  my  God,  every  time  I 
pour  out  water  to  wash  with,  I  will  call  to  mind  that  it 
is  my  duty  to  cleanse  my  hands  from  wicked  actions, 
my  mouth  from  wicked  words,  and  my  heart  from 
wicked  lusts  and  desires,  that  so  I  may  be  enabled  to 
lift  up  holy  hands  unto  Thee,  and  with  unspotted  lips 
and  heart  worship  Thee,  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 
What  will  it  profit  me  to  strive  after  outward  purity, 

l  Psalm  xxvi.  6. 


DKOSS  AND   CHAFF.  265 

if  my  heart  is  filthy  and  abominable  in  Thy  sight  ?  Can 
the  food  nourish  me  which  I  have  earned  with  polluted 
hands,  or  seized  with  violence  and  injustice,  or  eaten 
with  insensibility  and  ingratitude  ?  Ah,  no,  my  God ! 
far  from  me  be  food  like  this.  My  first  care  shall  be  to 
maintain  a  blameless  walk ;  my  next,  when  I  have 
thoughtlessly  defiled  myself,  to  cleanse  and  wash  away 
the  stain,  and  remove  mine  iniqiiity  from  Thine  eyes. 
Purge  me,  0  my  God,  and  I  shall  be  clean ;  wash  me, 
and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow.1 


CLXX. 


JNE  gold,  Gotthold  proceeded,  is  not  all  equally 
pure  and  sterling,  but  more  or  less  coated  with 
dross,  from  which  it  must  be  purified  by  the 
fire.  The  finest  wheat  has  a  mixture  of  chaff, 
which,  when  fanned,  it  leaves  behind.  "We  en- 
dure the  bad  for  the  sake  of  the  good  in  other  things  ; 
why  should  we  not  act  upon  the  same  principle  with  our 
fellow-men  ?  In  persons  who  are  virtuous  and  worthy, 
all  is  not  worth  and  virtue  ;  among  the  bad,  we  must 
reckon  him  to  be  the  best  who  has  the  fewest  faults. 

1  Psalm  li.  7. 


266  THE  ENEMY. 

My  God !  in  Thy  presence  I  have  nothing  to  say,  but 
that  of  all  sinners,  I  am  the  chief.  In  the  sight  of  men, 
however,  it  is  enough  if  they  can  discover  some  one 
good  point,  for  whose  sake  to  be  indulgent  to  my  faults, 
as  I  am  to  theirs.  As  for  those  who  fancy  that  they 
have  no  faults  with  which  to  soil  their  neighbor's 
fingers,  and  are  all  kernel,  I  leave  Thee  to  be  their 
judge,  who  art  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth. 


CLXXI. 


MAN  was  often  complaining  of  the  annoyance 
of  an  enemy,  plainly  showing  that  his  heart  was 
filled  with  hatred,  and  that,  were  opportunity  to 
offer,  he  would  not  neglect  to  retaliate  the  hos- 
tility. This  person  Gotthold  took  aside  and 
thus  admonished :  You  are  always  talking  of  your 
enemy,  but  be  assured  that  he  to  whom  you  give  the 
name  can  do  you  no  harm,  so  long  as  you  trust  in  God, 
and  follow  after  that  which  is  good.  Be  upon  your 
guard  against  yourself.  Open  enemies  are  far  less  dan- 
gerous than  secret  ones.  The  carnal  man  is  really  hos- 


THE  ENEMY.  267 

tile  to  himself,  when  he  indulges  hatred,  and  meditates 
revenge  against  those  of  whose  hostility  he  complains, 
inasmuch  as  he  thereby  makes  an  enemy  of  God,  who 
hates  all  implacable  and  malevolent  dispositions.  With 
consideration,  your  supposed  enemy  may  become  the 
means  of  doing  you  so  much  good,  that  you  will  have 
reason  to  esteem  him  as  your  friend,  and  thank  God  on 
his  account.  An  enemy  is  often  like  a  medicine,  which 
at  first  sickens  and  disorders  the  stomach,  but  after- 
wards removes  the  malady,  and  restores  the  health.  An 
enemy  teaches  us  to  walk  circumspectly ;  we  must  al- 
ways be  afraid  of  his  sharp  and  hostile  observation,  and 
know  that  he  will  mark  our  halting,  and  publish  it 
abroad  to  our  shame  and  injury.  An  enemy  impels  us 
to  prayer,  and  teaches  us  to  place  a  higher  value  upon 
the  friendship  of  God.  An  enemy  exercises  us  in 
patience,  confirms  our  faith,  tests  our  charity,  implants 
meekness,  crushes  pride,  weans  us  from  the  world,  and 
sweetens  to  us  the  prospects  of  heaven.  Unless  the  fire 
and  hammer  do  their  part,  the  shapeless  lump  of  gold 
can  never  become  the  goblet  which  graces  a  monarch's 
table  ;  and  just  as  little,  without  tribulation,  can  carnal 
men  be  converted  into  pious  Christians.  Look  less, 
then,  at  the  hammer  than  at  the  hand  which  wields  it 
for  your  good.  My  God  !  how  shall  I  thank  Thee,  for 
having  made  even  the  wrath  and  bitterness,  the  slander 
and  envy,  of  my  enemies  subservient  to  my  best  inter- 
ests !  They  thought  it  for  evil  against  me,  but  Thou 


268  THE   DIVISION. 

hast  turned  their  malice  into  the  means  of  my  edifica- 
tion. The  world's  enmity  has  made  Thee  and  me  the 
best  of  friends. 


CLXXII. 


OTTHOLD,  hearing  that  several  relatives  were 
soon  to  meet,  for  the  purpose  of  dividing  a  con- 
siderable  inheritance,  took  occasion  to  say  to 
them:  Take  heed  that  you  do  not  divide 
hearts  as  well  as  property.  The  eye  of  a  man  often 
looks  askance,  when  others  attempt  to  share  with  him 
that  of  which  he  would  fain  appropriate  the  whole.  A 
philosopher  not  improperly  calls  self-love  a  dissolvent, 
because  it  often  disunites  the  hearts  of  the  nearest  rel- 
atives, and  converts  their  love  into  hatred.  In  Paris, 
not  many  years  ago,  two  gentlemen,  at  the  division  of 
a  property  of  which  they  had  been  left  joint  heirs,  pro- 
ceeded from  words  to  blows,  when  one  of  them  killed 
the  other  with  a  pestle,  and  afterwards  cut  his  own 
throat.  In  this  way,  Satan  came  in  for  a  share.  I 
myself  was  once  present  at  the  implementing  of  a  will, 
when  the  minds  of  the  relations  became  exasperated  to 


THE  DIVISION.  269 

such  a  pitch,  that  they  broke  to  pieces  the  most  costly 
vessels,  and  tore  into  shreds  beautiful  tapestries  and 
hangings,  neither  wishing  to  give  anything  to  the  other. 
Nor  did  they  ever  afterwards  in  their  lives  meet  or 
exchange  words.  0  cursed  wealth !  of  which  the  devil 
makes  an  apple  of  discord.  0  unhallowed  inheritance ! 
which  breaks  the  bond  of  Christian  love,  and  forfeits 
the  inheritance  in  heaven. 


CLXXIII. 

on 


ELOYED  Saviour,  Gotthold  proceeded,  most 
unjustly  did  the  world  divide  with  Thee.  It 
gave  Thee  only  what  Thou  couldst  not  like  — 
poverty,  contempt,  disgrace,  the  cross,  the 
thorny  crown,  the  scourge;  and  yet  Thou 
didst  not  demur,  fully  satisfied  with  Thy  Father's  love 
and  holy  will.  And  still  it  does  the  same.  Small  is 
the  share  of  the  good  things  that  perish  which  falls  to 
the  believer's  lot.  Generally  it  is  little  greater  than 
Thine.  But  with  this  he  is  content,  anticipating  an- 
other division  which  will  take  place  at  death,  and  in 
which  body  and  soul,  wealth,  honor,  and  all  else  will 


270  .     GOD   AND    THE    WORLD. 

be  divided,  and  nothing  left  to  man  but  what  he  shall 
have  treasured  in  his  inmost  soul.  Happy  he  who  shall 
then  be  able  to  say,  the  Lord  is  my  portion  and  mine 
inheritance.  For  myself,  I  shall  easily  arrange  shares 
with  the  world.  It  will  give  to  me  my  crucified  and 
insulted  Saviour,  with  His  poverty  and  thorny  crown, 
and  I  will  let  it  keep  the  rest.  We  shall  then  be  quits. 


CLXXIY. 


ONTINUING,  Gotthold  said:  Alas,  ye  chil- 
dren of  men  !  why  do  you  so  fondly  love  the 
world  ?  Why  forsake  the  fountains  of  living 
waters,  and  hew  out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns 
*  that  can  hold  no  water  ?  l  Why  spend  money 
for  that  which  is  not  bread,  and  labor  for  that  which 
satisfieth  not?2  Why  forsake  the  God  of  all  consola- 
tion, and  set  your  heart  upon  the  world,  which  is  like 
the  apple  of  Sodom,  beautiful  to  look  upon,  but  in- 
wardly full  of  ashes  ;  or  not  less  like  decayed  timber, 
which,  no  doubt,  glistens  in  the  dark,  as  if  it  were 
some  precious  thing,  or  replete  with  fire,  but  disap- 

1  Jer.  ii.  13.  2  Isaiah  Iv.  2. 


THE    WASP.  271 

points  him  who  stoops  to  pick  it  up,  or  hopes  that  it 
will  warm  his  hands  ? 

Jesus,  my  Lord !  Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal 
life  ; l  Thou  hast  strong  and  lasting  consolation  ;  Thou 
hast  a  loving  heart,  lips  to  comfort,  and  hands  to  help. 
With  Thee  there  is  both  counsel  and  might.  I  have 
often  found  the  world  false,  but  never  Thee.  Thou  art 
an  unfading  flower  of  strength  and  refreshment,  and 
with  Thee  is  the  fountain  of  life  that  never  runs  dry. 
Let  who  will  then  forsake  Thee  :  for  my  part  I  have  no 
wish,  and  know  as  little  where,  to  better  my  condition. 
Be  this,  then,  my  resolution  forever :  Jesus,  I  will  not 
forsake  Thee. 


CLXXV. 


NE  day  a  wasp  had  entered  Gotthold's  study, 
and  for  a  time  fluttered  and  buzzed  before  the 
window.  At  last  he  rose,  caught  it,  and  cut  it 
into  three  parts.  He  then  observed,  with  as- 
tonishment, that  these  three  parts  —  the  head, 
the  breast  and  wings,  the  stomach  and  sting  —  although 
wholly  separate  from  each  other,  had  all,  nevertheless, 

1  John  vl.  67,  68. 
18 


272  THE    WASP. 

life  in  them.  The  head,  when  touched  with  a  straw, 
still  retained  the  power  of  catching  it  with  its  teeth, 
and  suspending  itself  from  it ;  the  hreast  with  the 
wings  fluttered  continually  round  and  round,  without 
being  able  to  rise ;  the  stomach,  when  touched,  was  in- 
stantly ready  with  the  sting.  This  reminded  him  that 
he  had  read  of  St.  Augustine's  having  once  witnessed  a 
similar  phenomenon,  and  of  his  being  unable  to  under- 
stand how  the  several  parts  into  which  an  insect  was 
cut,  could  still  crawl  about  like  the  whole  of  it.  Gott- 
hold  was  equally  at  a  loss  to  explain  how  the  soul,  so 
to  speak,  could  be  dissected  like  the  body.  But  he 
soon  said  to  himself:  This  may  at  least  help  me  to 
comprehend  how  it  is  possible  for  the  damned  to  suffer 
everlasting  death,  and  yet  never  cease  to  live.  We 
cannot  doubt  that  when  delivered  into  the  hands  of 
devils,  they  will  be  treated  with  the  utmost  cruelty, 
and,  as  I  suppose,  sorely  mutilated,  not  to  terminate 
their  existence,  but  only  to  augment  their  pain,  as  every 
limb  apart  will  suffer  as  much  as  the  whole  body  when 
entire.  They  will  thus  be  always  dying,  and  yet  will 
never  die,  but  live  in  everlasting  death. 

As  this  wasp's  head,  even  after  death,  if  one  may  so 
say,  attempts  to  bite,  and  the  tail  to  sting,  so  the 
damned  will  forever  retain  their  hatred  against  God 
and  man,  and  so  their  everlasting  malice  will  justly 
entail  upon  them  everlasting  anguish.  Ah  me !  eter- 
nity !  eternity !  This  is  the  worst  of  all  the  terrors  of 


THE  CLOCK.  273 

hell.  That  which  has  an  end,  however  dreadful  other- 
wise, admits  of  hope  and  consolation ;  but  where  shall 
an  end  be  found  to  an  endless  eternity !  How  blind, 
then,  we  are  to  forget  hell  as  we  do,  especially  as  the 
best  means  to  escape,  is  to  meditate  frequently  upon  it ! 


CLXXVI. 


A  V  I  N  G  taken  a  clock  to  pieces  for  the  purpose 
of  cleaning  it,  all  manner  of  thoughts  entered 
Gotthold's  mind  while  afterwards  engaged  in 
again  putting  it  together.  He  noticed  as  no 
inconsiderable,  although  an  almost  unnoticed 
blessing,  that  God  has  given  to  men  an  invention  so  in- 
genious and  useful,  enabling  them  as  it  does  correctly 
to  divide  their  time,  and  employ  it  in  profitable  labors, 
and  especially  reminding  them,  by  every  hour  that 
strikes,  of  the  vain  and  fleeting  nature  of  life,  and  the 
rapid  approach  of  death.  At  last,  it  seemed  to  him  to 
present  a  beautiful  emblem  of  Christianity.  A  clock, 
he  said,  when  in  good  order,  is  always  going,  and  one 
wheel  propelling  another  ;  and  even  so  must  true 
Christianity  be  in  continual  exercise,  and  every  act  of 


274  SWEET    WINE. 

godliness  make  way  for  the  next.  As  a  clock,  however, 
needs  to  be  constantly  inspected,  and  frequently  set  and 
cleaned,  so  God,  in  His  faithfulness  and  long-suffering, 
has  continual  work  to  do,  amending,  purifying,  and 
regulating  our  Christianity.  Moreover,  as  a  clock  does 
not  go  without  a  proportional  weight,  so  the  practice  of 
piety  likewise  comes  to  a  stop  unless  the  Most  High 
append  the  cross  to  our  heart.  In  doing  this,  however, 
He  takes  care  to  burden  no  one  above  his  ability. 

Thou  faithful  God!  let  iny  Christianity  be  always 
under  Thy  gracious  inspection.  Unless  Thou  set,  pu- 
rify, and  regulate  it,  it  will  never  go  well.  Append  to 
it  as  much  of  the  cross  as  Thou  mayest  judge  right,  or 
it  may  require.  Thou  art  merciful,  and  wilt  not  im- 
pose a  greater  burden  than  I  can  bear. 


CLXXVII. 

mint. 


OTTHOLD  had  a  bottle  of  sweet  wine,  and 
his  child  expressing,  as  children  do,  a  wish  to 
taste  it,  he  poured  a  little  into  his  cup,  gave 
it  him  to  drink,  and  inquired  :  How  do  you 
like  it?  To  this  the  child  replied:  Sweet.     He  then 


SWEET    WINE.  275 

asked,  How  sweet  is  it  ?  and  received  again  the  same 
answer,  Sweet,  sweet ;  at  which  he  smiled,  and  ob- 
served :  And  so  all  that  you  can  say  is,  that  it  is  sweet. 
Ah,  my  God!  he  proceeded,  sweet  also  is  Thy  grace, 
and  delectable  the  drops  of  Thy  goodness !  This  I  feel 
and  taste  in  spirit  and  faith;  but  were  I  asked  how 
sweet  and  delectable  they  are,  I  should  be  quite  as  un- 
able as  this  child  to  say  more  than  that  Thy  grace  is 
sweet.  Its  sweetness,  in  fact,  is  better  experienced 
than  expressed.  I  feel  in  my  heart,  and  taste  some- 
thing in  my  soul  which  penetrates  the  bones  and  mar- 
row, and  is  of  all  delights  the  most  delightful,  and  of 
all  sweetnesses  the  sweetest.  So  sweet  is  it  that  it  kills 
all  bitterness,  and  that  I  can  neither  conceive  nor  de- 
scribe it.  And  yet,  my  God !  they  are  but  a  few  drops 
of  Thy  love  and  grace,  which  thus  baffle  my  under- 
standing and  my  tongue.  How  then  will  it  be  in 
heaven,  when  Thou  shalt  give  me  to  drink  of  them  in 
mighty  floods  !  0  infinite  God !  Thy  sweetness  and 
felicity  are  infinite  like  Thyself !  When  will  it  be  my 
lot  to  behold  Thy  face,  and  taste  the  full  measure  of 
Thy  sweetness!  Wert  Thou  to  convert  all  seas  and 
rivers,  all  lakes,  ponds,  and  fountains,  into  wormwood 
and  gall,  and  pour  the  whole  upon  my  head,  a  drop  or 
two  of  Thy  love  and  goodness  would  be  enough  to 
sweeten  and  render  it  delightful.  Vouchsafe  to  me  in 
this  present  life  as  much  of  Thy  sweetness  as  shall 
seem  right  to  Thee,  and  be  profitable  to  me.  In  the 


276  THE    GRUBS   IN    THE   BEE-H1VE. 

life  to  come,  I  shall  be  content  to  gather,  beneath  the 
table  of  the  elect,  the  crumbs  of  Thy  grace,  and  the 
drops  of  Thy  goodness,  and  through  all  eternity  never 
ask  for  more. 


CLXXVIII. 

in  tljtt 


)HEN  inspecting  a  row  of  bee-hives,  Gotthold 
discovered  under  one  of  them  a  number  of 
ash-colored,  red-headed  grubs,  scattered  upon 
the  ground,  which  the  bees  had  killed  and 
carried  out.  On  asking  an  old  bee-cultivator 
the  explanation  of  this,  he  was  told  that  the  busy  bees 
occasionally  lighted  upon  a  noxious  plant,  sucked  from 
it  an  unwholesome  juice,  which  they  brought  to  the 
hive,  and  from  which  these  grubs  were  produced. 
Gotthold  mused,  and  said:  If  that  be  the  case,  it 
furnishes  an  excellent  emblem  of  ill-gotten  gain. 
Many  a  man,  like  a  bee,  labors  hard  to  earn  his 
livelihood.  The  desire  of  increasing  his  fortune, 
however,  induces  him  to  light  indiscriminately  and 
thoughtlessly  upon  every  flower  ;  —  by  which  I  mean, 
that  he  adopts  all  expedients,  just  and  unjust,  to  en- 


THE   BIER.  277 

rich  himself;  shuts  his  eyes  to  the  good  of  his  neigh- 
bor; and  so  adds  to  his  hoard  many  a  penny  bur- 
dened with  the  curses  and  sighs,  the  blood  and  tears, 
of  the  poor.  Ere  long,  however,  such  unhallowed 
gain  breeds  worms  and  maggots,  and  these  gnaw  and 
devour  his  conscience  and  good  name,  his  fortune  and 
family.  The  Word  of  God  tells  us  this  when  it  says, 
In  the  revenues  of  the  wicked  is  trouble.1 

Keep  me,  Thou  righteous  God,  from  ever  seeking 
my  own  advantage  to  the  detriment  of  others;  that 
so,  instead  of  possessing  a  treasure  and  provision,  I 
may  not  carry  about  a  gnawing  worm  in  my  con- 
science and  estate.  What  would  it  profit  me  were  I 
to  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  my  own  soul  ? 2 


CLXXIX. 

ur. 


BEING  a  hearse  standing  at  a  door,  Gotthold 
concluded  that  there  was  a  corpse  in  the  house, 
and  that  it  was  about  to  be  interred.  Re- 
minded thereby  of  his  own  mortality,  he  said 
to  himself  :  Perhaps  this  is  the  very  bier  which 
will  one  day  bear  thee  to  thy  grave  ;  and,  whether 
or  not,  at  least  the  wood  is  already  grown  from  which 

l  Prov.  xv.  6.  2  Matt.  xvi.  26. 


278  THE  BIER. 

thine  shall  be  made.  Wherefore,  0  man !  be  prepared 
to  die,  and  so  live  that,  when  mourners  are  bearing 
thy  body  to  the  grave,  angels  may  be  bearing  thy 
soul  to  heaven.  Continuing  his  reflections,  Alas ! 
said  he,  were  such  a  bier  to  be  stationed  at  the 
door  of  every  house  which  contains  the  dead,  where 
could  boards  be  found  to  make  enough  of  them? 
For,  alas !  many  a  man  is  dead  while  he  liveth ;  yea, 
all  are  dead  who  live  in  impenitence  and  presump- 
tuous sins.  God  is  the  soul  of  our  soul,  and  the  life 
of  our  life ;  and  Christ  must  dwell  in  our  heart  by 
faith,  and  be  the  heart  of  our  heart,  to  enable  us 
to  say,  with  St.  Paul,  I  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me.1  Just  as  the  heart  is  the  workshop 
of  the  soul,  from  which  it  distributes  natural  heat 
and  vital  energy  into  all  the  veins  and  members ; 
even  so  must  the  Lord  Jesus  generate  in  us  spirit- 
ual life,  and  diffuse  His  Spirit  into  all  our  powers, 
senses,  desires,  thoughts,  and  motions.  Where  this 
is  not  done,  there  is  no  life.  The  ungodly  man  is 
a  living  corpse;  the  worm  of  sinful  desire  consumes 
his  conscience ;  he  is  an  abomination  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Saviour,  and  offensive  to  God  and  the  holy  an- 
gels. As  ravens  rejoice  over  carrion,  so  infernal 
spirits  exult  over  the  soul  that  is  dead  in  sin  ;  and 
where  is  the  house  in  which  such  a  soul  may  not  be 
found  ? 

1  Gal.  ii.  20. 


THE   ROPE  MAKER. 


Jesus,  my  Lord,  unless  Thou  deign  to  live  within 
me,  it  were  better  for  me  to  die  at  once.  Be  Thou  my 
life,  or  I  care  not  to  live  a  moment  longer. 


CLXXX. 


EEING  a  ropemaker  at  his  work,  Gotthold 
looked  on  for  a  while  in  silence,  and  then 
S^  said  :  Holy  Scripture  compares  sins  to  cords,1 
and  with  great  propriety  ;  for,  as  a  rope  is 
twined  from  many  threads,  so  is  sin  very  rarely 
single  ;  but  one  grows  out  of  another,  and  often  the 
new  is  committed  to  cover  or  excuse  the  old.  Wicked 
suggestions  are  the  first  threads,  the  cherishing  of 
these  with  satisfaction  the  second,  the  sinful  purpose 
the  third  ;  the  execution  of  it  then  twists  the  cord, 
and  perseverance  in  it  binds  the  sinner  to  his  ruin. 
For  instance,  it  sometimes  happens  that  a  man  will 
secretly  purloin  something  from  his  neighbor:  this  is 
one  sin.  Suspected,  and  questioned  upon  the  subject, 
he  denies  the  fact;  this  is  a  second.  Expostulated 
with,  he  curses  and  swears  ;  this  is  a  third.  Offended 

1  Prov.  v.  22;  Isa  v.  18. 


280  THE    VINE. 

by  the  expostulation,  he  conceives  an  implacable  hatred 
against  his  accuser,  and  slanders  him  in  every  possible 
way ;  this  is  a  fourth  and  fifth.  And,  lastly,  he  keeps 
the  stolen  property,  and  prefers  losing  his  soul  to  the 
infamy  consequent  upon  restoring  it.  Ah,  me  !  what  a 
strong  cord  of  the  devil  have  we  here !  and  how  few 
there  are  who  can  disentangle  themselves  from  it ! 
And  as  this  ropemaker  is  always  moving  backwards, 
while  he  has  his  work  in  front,  and  lengthens  out 
the  cord  as  he  goes,  even  so  do  most  men  persevere 
in  their  sins,  and  look  as  little  to  the  consequences 
as  they  can  see  what  is  behind  them. 


CLXXXI. 


FRIEND  complained  to  Gotthold  of  the  weak- 
ness of  his  faith,  and  the  distress  this  gave  him. 
Gotthold  pointed  to  a  vine  which  had  twined 
and  fastened  itself  around  a  pole,  and  was 
hanging  loaded  with  beautiful  clusters,  and 
said  :  Frail  is  that  plant  ;  but  what  harm  is  done  to  it 
by  its  frailty,  especially  as  the  Creator  has  been  pleased 
to  make  it  what  it  is  ?  As  little  will  it  prejudice  your 


THE  BEST  DISH.  281 

faith,  that  it  is  weak,  provided  only  it  be  sincere  and 
unfeigned.  Faith  is  the  work  of  God,  and  He  bestows 
it  in  such  measure  as  He  wills  and  judges  right.  Let 
the  measure  of  it  which  He  has  given  you,  be  deemed 
sufficient  by  you.  Take  for  pole  and  prop  the  Cross  of 
the  Saviour  and  the  Word  of  God.  Twine  around  these 
with  all  the  power  which  God  vouchsafes.  A  heart  sen- 
sible of  its  weakness,  and  prostrating  itself  continually 
with  humble  sighs  at  the  feet  of  the  Divine  mercy,  is 
more  acceptable  than  that  which  presumes  upon  the 
strength  of  its  faith,  and  falls  into  security  and  pride. 
Can  you  suppose  that  the  sinful  woman  who  lay  and 
wept  at  the  Lord's  feet,  was  less  approved  than  the 
swelling  and  haughty  Pharisee  ? l 

CLXXXII. 

C^  $**i  gisfr.    ' 

)EING  one  of  the  company  at  a  banquet,  Gott- 
hold  proposed,  for  their  diversion,  the  question, 
What  is  the  best  dish  which  a  host  can  present 
to  Ms  guests  ?  To  this  one  replied  :  The  famil- 
iar and  improving  conversation  of  good  friends, 
appealing  to  the  words  of  the  wise  monarch :  Better  is 

l  Luke  vii.  38. 


282  THE  BEST  DISH. 

a  dinner  of  herbs,  where  love  is,  than  a  stalled  ox,  and 
hatred  therewith.1  Another  said  :  The  best  dish  seems 
to  me  to  be  the  courtesy  and  tidiness  of  the  lady  of  the 
house ;  for,  if  she  change  her  face,  and  darken  her  coun- 
tenance like  sackcloth,  or  give  any  ground  for  the  suspi- 
cion that  the  hands  which  dressed  it  were  not  clean,  there 
is  little  pleasure  or  relish  even  in  the  costliest  fare.  Said 
a  third  :  The  best  dish  is  that  which  is  first  offered  to  a 
hungry  man  ;  for  the  reason  why  the  voluptuary  can 
find,  among  the  many  which  are  served,  scarcely  one  to 
please  him,  is,  that  he  eats  sooner  and  more  than  neces- 
sity requires,  and  never  uses  hunger  as  a  sauce  to  his 
food.  In  the  opinion  of  a  fourth,  the  best  dish  was  an 
open  and  generous  heart  on  the  part  of  the  host ;  for, 
if  the  guest  have  the  slightest  ground  to  suppose  that  he 
has  not  been  willingly  or  disinterestedly  invited,  or  that 
he  is  grudgingly  entertained,  or  that  his  words  are 
marked  and  treasured  up,  he  will  have  little  relish  for 
any  of  the  dishes.  Gotthold  then  took  up  the  word, 
and  added  :  There  is  certainly  reason  in  your  answers, 
but  I  too  will  say  what  I  think.  The  best  dish  is  that 
which  has  been  earned  by  fair  means  and  with  a  good 
conscience,  is  enjoyed  with  gratitude  and  reverence 
towards  God,  and  of  which  the  poor  beggar  at  the  gate 
receives  his  share  :  For  how  can  any  dish  be  called  good 
which  is  seasoned  with  the  tears  and  sighs  of  oppressed 
Christians,  and  with  the  Divine  malediction  ?  No  dish 

l  Troverbs  xv.  17. 


SERVANTS.  283 

is  good  which  does  not  do  the  eater  good ;  and  what 
good  can  any  dish  do  which  is  eaten  with  such  a  sauce  ? 
Wherever  gratitude  to  God  and  charity  to  poor  neigh- 
bors are  forgotten,  the  last  cup  in  life's  banquet  is 
usually  quaffed  amid  the  flames  of  hell,  as  the  rich 
voluptuary  experienced.1 

Lord  Jesus  !  give  me  only  a  crust  of  bread,  but  let  it 
be  bedropped  with  Thy  blessing,  moistened  from  Thy 
wounds,  and  sweetened  by  Thy  love :  I  will  gladly  share 
it  with  a  needy  brother,  and  desire  no  other  or  better 
fare. 


CLXXXIII. 


>A  VING  inquired  of  the  servants,  who  had  been 
for  some  time  in  his  family,  whether  they  were 
disposed  to  remain,  Gotthold  received  for  answer, 
that  they  had  no  cause  of  complaint  ;  knew  not 
what  better  they  could  do;  and,  if  he  were 
equally  satisfied  with  them,  had  no  wish  to  change  their 
place.  Gotthold,  on  his  part,  having  no  ground  for  dis- 
satisfaction, retained  them  in  his  employment.  The 
occasion,  however,  led  him  to  reflect  as  follows:  Be- 
tween master  and  servant,  mistress  and  maid,  there  is 

1  Luke  xvi.  23. 


284 


no  difference  but  that  which  God  has  made,  for  a  short 
interval  in  this  present  world.  The  stars,  though  not 
all  of  one  magnitude  or  brightness,  have  all  places  in 
one  common  heaven  :  in  like  manner,  we  occupy  differ- 
ent degrees  of  honor,  rank,  and  wealth,  but  have  the 
same  firmament  of  grace  over  our  heads  —  namely,  one 
Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of 
all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  us  all.1 
What  right,  then,  have  I  to  despise  or  injure  my  domes- 
tics, although  they  must  call  me  master,  and  wait  my 
command  and  pleasure  ?  And  what  if  they  shall  attain 
to  higher  degrees  of  faith,  charity,  meekness,  patience, 
and  contentment,  than  I  do  ?  We  read  of  a  hermit 
who  had  a  high  notion  of  his  own  sanctity.  It  was  re- 
vealed to  him,  however,  that  in  this  respect  he  was 
greatly  inferior  to  a  poor  girl,  who  was  waiting-maid  at 
an  inn.  With  this  person  he  sought  an  interview,  and, 
having  inquired  in  what  her  pious  deeds  and  acceptable 
services  consisted,  was  answered,  that  she  was  not  con- 
scious of  any  particular  sanctity,  but  tried  diligently 
and  faithfully  to  execute  the  work  of  the  house,  and 
the  other  tasks  assigned  to  her  ;  and  especially  made 
it  a  rule,  every  time  she  lifted  a  bundle  of  fagots  to 
carry  it  into  the  kitchen,  to  meditate  with  cordial  affec- 
tion upon  Him  who,  from  love  to  her  and  all  mankind, 
had  once  borne  the  tree  of  the  cross.  In  the  same  way, 
many  a  precious  stone  lies  neglected  upon  the  ground, 

1  Eph.  iv.  6,  6. 


THE  FRAGRANT   DEATH'S-HEAD.  285 

but  nevertheless  continues  to  be  a  precious  stone.  The 
pearl  oyster  is  rough  and  unsightly  on  the  outside,  but 
beautiful  and  bright  within,  and  precious  for  what  it 
contains.  Even  so  pious  servants  are  often  humble  and 
despised  in  the  world's  eyes,  but  great  in  God's. 


CLXXXIV. 


'NE  of  Gotthold's  friends  had  got  a  little  scent- 
box,  made  in  the  shape  of  a  death's-head,  with 
a  screw  at  the  skull  for  opening  and  taking  it 
asunder.  It  then  showed  various  cells,  filled 
with  fragrant  balm.  Being  asked  why  he  had 
made  the  box  in  this  particular  shape,  he  replied:  In 
order  to  have  something  continually  reminding  me 
of  my  mortality.  On  this  Gotthold  rejoined:  You 
have  done  well,  if  such  was  indeed  your  object,  and 
not  rather  to  possess  a  curiosity  for  people  to  gaze  and 
wonder  at.  The  thought  of  the  mortality  to  which, 
like  all  your  race,  you  are  subjected,  may  be  infinitely 
more  profitable  to  you  than  all  kinds  of  balm.  If 
seized  with  the  delirium  of  pride,  reflect  that  death 
will  one  day  reduce  you  to  dust  and  ashes,  and  wither 


286  THE    THOUGHTS. 

your  pomp  like  a  flower.  If  overcome  by  angry  passion, 
take  to  heart  that  death  stands  behind  you  with  his  axe, 
and  only  waits  the  signal  from  God  to  reduce  you  in  an 
instant  to  the  impotency  of  a  dead  gnat.  If  your  heart 
ache,  and  your  head  be  distracted  with  cares,  recollect 
that  all  your  trouble  and  anxiety  will  one  day  come  to 
a  blessed  end.  Oh !  how  precious,  how  fragrant,  how 
superlatively  sweet  a  balm  it  is,  upon  every  emergency 
to  remember  our  mortality ! 

Help  me,  0  my  God !  continually  to  live  as  if  I  did 
not  live,  that  so  at  last  I  may  die  as  if  I  were  not 
dying. 


CLXXXV. 


BSERVING  one  of  his  family  absorbed  in  deep 
thought,  Gotthold  inquired  :  Why  so  pensive  ? 
Of  what  are  you  thinking  ?  The  answer  was  : 
Of  nothing.  To  which  he  rejoined  :  It  is  im- 
possible for  a  man  not  to  be  thinking  of  some- 
thing. We  ought,  however,  to  accustom  ourselves  to 
have  no  thoughts  but  such  as  we  should  not  be  afraid 
to  divulge,  were  we  unexpectedly  interrogated  about 


THE    THOUGHTS.  287 

them ;  inasmuch  as,  whatever  they  are,  though  hidden 
from  men,  they  cannot  be  concealed  from  God.  Such 
as  the  thoughts  are,  the  soul  is.  The  cask,  long  after 
it  has  been  emptied,  retains  the  scent  of  the  liquor 
with  which  it  was  formerly  filled  ;  and  in  the  same  way 
do  the  thoughts  leave  behind  them  the  trace  of  their 
nature  and  quality  in  the  heart.  And  as  wine  is  never 
put  into  a  foul  or  fetid  cask,  so  never  does  God  pour  his 
grace  into  the  heart  which  is  voluntarily  defiled  with 
evil  thoughts.  The  thoughts  are  the  soul's  pinions, 
with  which  it  wings  its  way  either  to  heaven  or  to  hell. 
With  these  it  may  either,  like  Noah's  dove,  light  upon 
an  olive-tree,  and  pluck  from  it  a  twig ;  or,  like  the 
raven,  settle  upon  a  carcass,  and  defile  itself.  They 
are  the  possessions  and  wealth  of  the  soul,  as  Job  calls 
them.1  This  treasure  of  the  heart,  however,  derives  all 
its  value  from  the  stamp  it  bears ;  for  thoughts  not  im- 
pressed with  the  seal  of  God,  the  love  of  Jesus,  or  the 
marks  of  His  Holy  Spirit,  must  be  reckoned  false  money, 
which  will  not  pass.  See,  then,  well  to  it,  that  you 
cherish  and  harbor  no  evil  thoughts  in  your  heart.  I 
do  not  say  that  they  must  never  enter,  for  this  would 
be  to  require  too  much,  and  more  than,  since  the  fall, 
is  possible.  The  heart  is  an  inn,  and,  rightfully,  no 
thoughts  ought  to  be  admitted  into  it  but  such  as  are 
on  their  way  either  from  or  to  heaven ;  otherwise  it 
becomes  a  licentious  haunt,  like  that  of  which  the  Lord 

1  Job  xvii.  11,  Hebr. 

li) 


288  THE  CHILD   LEARNING    TO    WALK. 

says :  0  Jerusalem !  how  long  shall  thy  vain  thoughts 
lodge  within  thee  ? l  The  first  stage  to  actual  sin  is, 
to  think  evil  thoughts  ;  the  second,  to  love  and  cherish 
them.  A  foreign  teacher  says  that  they  are  the  first- 
born children  of  original  sin,  and  the  parents  of  every 
other  kind  of  it. 


CLXXXVI. 

CJnltr  Darning  ia 


iHEN  just  beginning  to  walk,  a  child  was  exer- 
cising its  feeble  steps,  with  the  help  of  chairs 
and  benches,  while  the  mother  sat  at  some 
distance,  and,  with  endearing  words  and  a 
sight  of  the  breast,  enticed  it  to  quit  hold, 
and  advance  to  her  alone  and  unsupported.  This  at 
last  it  did,  cautiously  setting  one  foot  before  another, 
till  it  came  within  her  reach,  and  then,  in  an  ecstasy  of 
delight,  fell  into  her  arms.  Gotthold  watched  the  scene 
with  peculiar  pleasure,  and  thought  with  himself:  Most 
beautifully  is  the  divine  training  of  my  soul  here  shad- 
owed forth  !  What  else  is  my  Christianity  but  the 
timid  tottering  of  this  little  one  ?  What  all  my  perfec- 

l  Jeremiah  iv.  14. 


THE  NEW   SUIT  OF   CLOTHES.  289 

tion  but  imperfection  felt  and  deplored?  What  my 
strength  but  weakness?  The  Saviour,  however,  acts 
towards  me  a  mother's  part,  —  attracts  me  with  the 
sweet  words  of  His  promises,  uncovers  the  breasts  of 
His  grace  and  everlasting  consolations,  and  opens  and 
extends  to  me  His  arms. 

Well,  then,  Lord  Jesus!  I  will  creep  if  I  cannot 
walk ;  I  will  take  hold  of  Thy  word.  When  I  stumble, 
Thou  wilt  support  me ;  when  I  fall,  Thou  wilt  hold 
out  Thy  Cross,  and  help  me  with  it  to  rise  again,  until 
at  length  I  reach  the  place  where  Thou  art,  and  with 
all  my  weaknesses,  anxieties,  and  wants,  cast  myself 
into  Thy  bosom. 


CLXXXVII. 


LITTLE  boy  had  got  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  of 
which  he  was  excessively  proud.  Gotthold 
saw  him,  and,  with  a  smile,  said  to  the  family  : 
Human  nature  is  very  fickle  ;  it  soon  tires  of 
old  things,  and  is  always  eager  for  novelties. 
We  relish  what  is  new  and  strange  much  more  than 
what  is  old  and  familiar.  The  prophet  tells  us,  how- 


290  THE  NEW   SUIT  OF  CLOTHES. 

ever,  that  the  Lord's  compassions  are  new  every  morn- 
ing ;  which  means,  as  I  understand  it,  that  it  is  every 
morning  as  fresh  and  new  to  our  most  gracious  God  to 
do  us  good,  in  body  and  soul,  as  if  He  had  never  done 
it  before.  He  never  wearies,  never  loses  the  relish  for 
it,  feels  constantly  fresh  delight  in  manifesting  His 
goodness  towards  us.  Oh,  that  it  were  equally  fresh 
and  new  to  us  to  be  thankful  to  Him  !  and  that,  every 
morning,  the  first  sighs  and  words  which  escaped  from 
our  lips  were  directed  to  His  glory  and  praise  !  To 
this  the  royal  prophet  exhorts,  saying,  Sing  unto  the 
Lord  a  new  song ;  as  if  he  meant,  Never  let  the  Lord's 
praise  seem  to  you  an  old  and  tiresome  work,  but  think 
it  always  as  fresh  and  new  as  if  you  were  engaging  in 
it  for  the  first  time.  Observe,  too,  how  cautiously  this 
child  now  comports  himself  in  his  new  dress ;  whereas 
he  cared  not  how  he  soiled  the  old.  Even  so,  never  let 
the  robe  of  righteousness,  with  which  Christ  has  clothed 
us,  appear  old  in  our  eyes.  Rather  let  us  feel  as  if  we 
put  it  on  new  and  fresh  every  morning;  and  let  us 
walk  cautiously  and  circumspectly,  that  we  may  not 
stain  it  with  presumptuous  sins. 

My  God !  Thou  fountain  of  all  goodness,  the  more 
we  draw  from  Thy  bounty,  the  larger  and  fresher  is  its 
stream.  Thou  art  more  willing  to  give  than  we  are  to 
receive.  Oh!  grant  that  my  heart  may  be  a  fountain, 
from  which  Thy  praise  and  glory  may  never  cease  to 
flow! 


THE    WATER-DROP.  291 


CLXXXVIII. 


spigot  not  being  properly  secured  in  a  water- 
cask,  there  was  a  constant  dropping  into  a  basin 
which  stood  upon  the  ground  below.  Gott- 
hold  saw  it,  and  observed :  This  seems  a  very 
trivial  circumstance,  and  yet  it  may  suggest 
to  us  what  ought  never  to  be  forgotten  as  long  as  we 
live.  The  rich  man,  when  tormented  in  hell,  implored 
a  single  drop  of  water  to  cool  his  burning  tongue,  but 
implored  it  in  vain.1  Ah  me  !  how  small  a  refreshment 
it  would  have  been  to  one  weltering  in  the  fiery  flames, 
to  receive  into  his  mouth  the  small  quantity  of  water 
which  adheres  to  the  tip  of  the  finger  after  being  dipped 
into  a  fountain ;  and  yet  it  was  refused,  —  intimating 
that  in  hell  no  comfort  or  alleviation,  however  small,  no 
intermission,  however  brief,  can  be  hoped  for.  For  this 
reason,  when  we  hear  the  dropping  of  water,  let  us  re- 
flect on  the  fleetingness  of  life.  As  drop  follows  drop, 
until  the  cask  is  empty,  so  does  hour  follow  hour,  and 
one  day  or  year  another,  until  life  is  spent.  What,  then, 
would  become  of  us,  if  all  consolation  terminated  with 
our  breath,  and  we  were  never,  through  all  eternity,  to 
taste  the  refreshment  of  a  single  drop  of  water  ? 

l  Luke  xvi.  23. 


292  THE  DARK  NIGHT. 

My  God  !  Thy  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercy  are 
daily  distilled  from  heaven  in  innumerable  drops,  and 
blessed  is  the  man  on  whom  they  fall !  But  he  who 
contemns  or  abuses  the  drops  of  grace  in  time,  does  not 
deserve  even  a  drop  of  water  through  all  eternity.  On 
the  other  hand,  he  who  in  this  life  is  satisfied  to  receive 
Thy  grace  in  drops,  shall  hereafter  be  made  to  drink  of 
it  as  a  river.1 


CLXXXIX. 


NE  night,  when  there  was  no  moon,  Gotthold 
awoke,  and  finding  the  darkness  so  thick  that  he 
could  not,  as  the  saying  goes,  see  his  hand 
before  his  eyes,  reflected  thus  :  Wicked  men, 
it  is  true,  instigated  by  him  who  is  its  prince, 
often  abuse  darkness,  and  pervert  it  to  the  commission 
of  acts  of  guilt  and  shame  ;  but  I  see  in  it  traces,  which 
few  suspect,  of  the  hidden  goodness  and  wisdom  of  God. 
Night,  with  its  darkness,  serves  to  cool  and  refresh  the 
drooping  plants,  watering  them  with  wholesome  dew.  It 
sharpens  the  sight  by  giving  the  eyes  time  to  recover 
their  optic  power.  It  is  of  equal  benefit  to  the  mind. 

l  Tsalm  xxxvi.  8. 


ANGRY  ALMS.  293 

By  day,  distracted  with  the  multiplicity  of  the  objects 
presented  by  the  senses,  the  mind  cannot  duly  weigh 
them  all ;  but  night,  wrapping  the  head  in  her  black 
mantle,  secludes  us  from  the  external  world,  and  gives 
it  solitude  and  leisure  for  deep  and  calm  reflection. 
Besides,  what  is  darkness  but  a  sombre  curtain  which 
God  in  His  kindness  hangs  about  our  beds,  that  our  rest 
may  be  tranquil  and  undisturbed,  whilst  He  who  neither 
slumbers  nor  sleeps,  keeps  watch,  like  the  mother  over 
her  child  ? 

Grant,  0  God  !  that  when  I  awake  in  the  night,  I  may 
think  of  Thee,  and  employ  my  mind  in  contemplating 
Thy  inconceivable  goodness.  And  do  Thou  also,  amidst 
the  darkness,  cause  Thy  light  to  shine  into  my  soul ! 


cxc. 


OTTHOLI)  was  one  day  occupied  with  impor- 
tant business,  and  deeply  absorbed  in  thought, 
when  his  daughter  unexpectedly  entered  the 
room,  bringing  a  paper  stating  the  case  of  a 
poor  widow,  with  the  causes  of  her  penury,  and  solicit- 
ing an  alms  in  her  behalf.  Losing  his  temper,  he  spoke 


294  ANGRY  ALMS. 

harshly  to  the  girl,  and,  in  an  ill-humor,  flung  to  her 
the  sum  she  asked.  He  soon,  however,  recollected 
himself,  and  cried  out :  Wretched  man  that  I  am ! 
how  fair  the  show  which  my  Christianity  often  presents, 
to  myself  at  least,  and  how  boldly  I  venture  to  say, 
"  Lord  Jesus,  Thou  knowest  all  things,  Thou  knowest 
that  I  love  Thee ; "  and  yet,  now  that  my  Saviour  has 
come  and  craved  a  mite  for  this  poor  widow,  as  a  prac- 
tical evidence  of  my  affection,  I  take  offence  at  Him  for 
disturbing  my  poor  thoughts,  though  for  so  short  a 
time,  and  so  good  a  cause.  Go  now,  and  plume  thy- 
self on  thy  faith  and  piety  !  My  God !  Thou  invitest 
me  to  come  to  Thee  whenever  my  pleasure  leads,  or  my 
necessities  compel  me ;  and,  come  when  I  may,  never 
is  my  coming  unseasonable  or  inopportune.  Thou  hast 
the  whole  world  to  govern,  and  yet  I  trouble  Thee  not 
though  I  break  in  at  morning,  noon,  or  night,  and 
claim  an  alms  from  Thjr  mercy.  How  conceited  I  must 
be  to  reckon  my  concerns  and  cogitations  of  greater 
moment  than  the  prayers  and  sighs  of  my  suffering  fel- 
low-Christian !  I  now  see  that  sin  is  rashness,  and  have 
good  cause  henceforth  to  give  a  more  gracious  recep- 
tion to  the  Lord  Jesus  in  His  members,  lest  in  my  hour 
of  need  He  turn  His  back  iipon  me.  God  loveth  a 
cheerful  giver.1  A  benefaction  to  the  poor  should  be 
like  oil,  which,  when  poured  from  one  vessel  into  an- 
other, flows  in  silence,  and  with  a  soft  and  gentle  fall. 

1  2  Corinthians  ix  7. 


THE   SORE.  295 

An  alms  reluctantly  bestowed,  is  like  a  rose  spoiled  and 
discolored  with  the  fumes  of  sulphur,  like  sanded  flour, 
or  over-salted  meat.  He  who  exerciseth  charity  with  a 
reluctant  heart  and  angry  words,  resembles  the  cow 
which  yields  her  milk,  but  overturns  the  pail  with  her 
foot. 


CXCI. 

San. 


0  T  T  H  0  L  D  went  on  to  say  :  To  good  men,  sin 
and  infirmity  are  festering  sores,  which  give 
them  pain,  and  from  which  they  seek  to  be 
relieved.  By  the  ungodly,  on  the  contrary, 
sin  and  infirmity  are  prized  as  a  jewel,  and  regarded  as 
a  distinction  and  an  ornament. 

My  God  !  I  beseech  Thee,  from  my  inmost  heart,  save 
me  from  the  love  of  sin.  May  even  the  most  venial 
faults  give  me  pain.  Daily  admonish  and  correct  me, 
whether  by  Thy  Word  and  Spirit,  or  by  a  sincere  and 
Christian  friend,  or  by  anxiety  and  heaviness  of  heart, 
or  by  the  cross,  or  by  whatever  other  means  you  please. 
When  I  sin,  may  I  be  instantly  sensible  of  it,  and 
heartily  and  humbly  seek  and  obtain  from  Thee  pardon 
through  Jesus  Christ. 


296  THE    TANGLED    YARN. 

CXCII. 


WOMAN  had  put  a  hank  of  yarn  upon  a  reel, 
intending  to  wind  it  into  a  ball  ;  but,  as  the 
thread  would  not  run  as  she  wished,  she  lost 
patience,  and  pulled  it  to  and  fro.  This,  how- 
ever, only  made  the  evil  worse,  for  it  multiplied 
the  ends,  until  she  no  longer  knew  which  to  draw. 
Gotthold  looked  on  in  silence,  but  thought  with  him- 
self :  I  now  see  how  it  happens  that  the  interference  of 
third  parties  only  complicates  quarrels.  The  reason  is, 
because  they  bring  to  them  more  of  needless  anger  and 
zeal  than  of  judicious  moderation  and  skill.  Many 
a  matter  might  easily  be  settled  if  we  only  knew  the 
right  end  by  which  to  take  hold  of  whimsical  and  wilful 
minds.  Worldly  disputes  are  almost  all  like  this  yarn  ; 
whosoever  ventures  to  meddle  with  them,  except  with  a 
meek  and  sober  heart,  will  do  no  good.  It  is  folly  for 
any  man  to  expect  that  all  things  shall  or  can  be  made 
square  with  his  views.  He  acts  a  wiser  part  who  tries 
to  accommodate  himself  to  seasons  and  circumstances, 
so  far  as  he  can  with  a  safe  conscience.  Many  a  one 
complains  of  the  tangled  yarns  and  whimsical  charac- 
ters with  which  he  has  to  do,  without  being  conscious 
that  his  own  hat  covers  as  much  oddity,  and  that  that 
gives  other  people  no  less  occasion  to  complain  of  him. 


THE  JOUR  NET.  297 

My  God  !  In  my  vocation  I  must  daily  expect  to 
meet  with  tangled  yarns.  Give  me  a  meek  and  prudent 
heart,  that  I  may  always  find  the  right  end  to  draw ! 


CXCIII. 


OTTHOLD  and  some  friends  were  in  the  act 
of  starting  on  a  journey,  which  was  to  occupy 
several  days.  All  was  ready,  and  the  carriage 
at  the  door  ;  but  one  of  the  party  did  not  make 
his  appearance,  and,  on  being  sent  for,  it  was 
found  that  he  had  not  packed  his  clothes,  or  made  the 
other  necessary  preparations.  He  arrived  at  last,  how- 
ever, and  they  drove  off;  when  Gotthold  said  :  We  must 
not  allow  you  to  escape  with  impunity  for  having  now 
delayed  and  detained  us  a  whole  hour  ;  and  your  pun- 
ishment shall  be  to  listen  to  a  good  and  salutary  admo- 
nition, and  bear  it  about  constantly  in  your  mind.  Do 
you  know,  then,  whom  you  have  this  day  been  imitat- 
ing ?  —  the  children  of  the  world.  For  these  find,  or 
make  for  themselves,  so  much  to  do  with  the  world's 
vanities,  that  they  never  are  in  a  state  of  readiness  for 
departing  out  of  it.  They  do  not  think  of  death,  and 


298  THE    CHILD   AT   PLAY. 

so  postpone  to  the  last  hour  the  collecting  of  their  trav- 
elling gear  ;  by  which  I  mean,  exercising  repentance, 
faith,  confession,  prayer,  and  holy  living.  Never  till 
then  do  they  set  their  house  in  order,  make  their  will, 
or  attempt  to  disengage  themselves  from  the  world, 
which  has  often,  however,  taken  so  strong  a  hold  of 
them,  that  they  quit  it  only  with  reluctance  and  secret 
or  open  murmuring.  There  are  not  many,  says  a  wise 
Dutchman,  who  finish  their  lives  before  they  die.  Very 
few  go,  most  are  dragged,  to  the  grave  ;  and,  instead  of 
leaving  the  world,  they  are  hunted  out  of  it.  Prepa- 
ration for  death  seems  to  me  of  vast  moment,  and  the 
neglecting  or  postponing  of  it  good  for  neither  living 
nor  dying. 


CXCIV. 

ilir  at  flag. 


LITTLE  boy  was  running  about  in  an  apart- 
ment, amusing  himself  as  children  are  accus- 
tomed to  do.     His  money  was  potsherds,  his 
house  bits  of  wood,  his  horse  a  stick,  and  his 
¥        child  a  doll.     In  the  same  apartment  sat  his 
father,  at  a  table,  occupied  with  important  matters  of 


THE    CHILD   AT  PLAY.  299 

business,  which  he  noted  and  arranged  for  the  future 
benefit  of  his  young  companion.  The  child  frequently 
ran  to  him,  asked  many  foolish  questions,  and  begged 
one  thing  after  another  as  necessary  for  his  diversion. 
The  father  answered  briefly,  did  not  intermit  his  work, 
but  all  the  time  kept  a  watchful  eye  over  the  child,  to 
save  him  from  any  serious  fall  or  injury.  Gotthold  was 
a  spectator  of  the  scene,  and  thought  with  himself: 
How  beautiful  an  adumbration  of  the  fatherly  care  of 
God !  We  too,  who  are  old  children,  course  about  in  the 
world,  and  often  play  at  games  which  are  much  more 
foolish  tli an  those  of  our  little  ones  ;  we  collect  and  scat- 
ter, build  and  demolish,  plant  and  pluck  up,  ride  and 
drive,  eat  and  drink,  sing  and  play,  and  fancy  that  we 
are  performing  great  exploits,  well  worthy  of  God's 
special  attention.  Meanwhile,  however,  the  Omniscient 
is  sitting  by,  and  writing  our  days  in  His  book.  He 
orders  and  executes  all  that  is  to  befall  us,  overruling 
it  for  our  best  interests  in  time  and  eternity ;  and  yet 
His  eye  never  ceases  to  watch  over  us,  and  the  childish 
sports  in  which  we  are  engaged,  that  we  may  meet  with 
no  deadly  mischief. 

My  God !  such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me. 
It  is  high,  and  I  cannot  attain  unto  it;  but  I  shall  thank 
and  praise  Thee  for  it.  0  my  Father!  withhold  not 
from  me  Thy  care  and  inspection,  and,  above  all,  at 
those  times  when,  perhaps,  like  this  little  one,  I  am 
playing  the  fool. 


300  THE  MORNING    STAR. 

C  X  C  V. 

Star. 


AYING  once,  at  break  of  day,  beheld  the  morn- 
ing star  beaming  in  all  its  pomp  and  beauty, 
Gotthold  thought  with  himself:  Even  a  half- 
brutal  heart  could  not  but  be  struck  with  as- 
tonishment at  beholding,  for  the  first  time, 
this  bright  and  charming  orb.  Men  often  tell  us,  and 
sometimes  falsely,  of  new  and  wondrous  stars  ;  but,  to 
me,  every  time  I  behold  it,  this  one  appears  to  have 
acquired  new  and  additional  lustre,  and  to  be  a  pecu- 
liar marvel  of  the  firmament.  Nor  can  it  fail  to  remind 
me  of  Thee,  Lord  Jesus  ;  for  dost  Thou  not  call  Thy- 
self the  bright  and  morning  star  ?  l  It  is  not  fiery  red  ; 
it  darts  no  sparkling  flame  around  ;  but  from  its  bright 
lamp  pours  so  sweet  and  silvery  a  radiance,  that  we 
never  weary  of  gazing  upon  it.  And  even  so,  my  Sa- 
viour, Thou  art  not  passionate,  merciless,  or  wrathful  ; 
but  so  gentle  are  the  rays  which  Thy  Divine  and  incon- 
ceivable love  sheds  upon  us,  that  only  he  who  does  not 
or  will  not  know,  can  help  loving  Thee.  My  soul 
never  tires  of  contemplating  Thee  ;  and  never  turns  to 
Thee  one  look  or  thought  without  experiencing  Thy 
consolatory  light.  The  rising  of  the  morning  star  is 

l  Revelation  xxii.  6. 


THE  ROYAL   ENTRANCE.  301 

the  signal  of  the  approach  of  day ;  and  even  so,  when 
Thou,  Lord  Jesus,  shinest  into  my  heart,  the  dawn 
commences ;  the  darkness  of  sin,  ignorance,  and  sor- 
row, disappears ;  and  the  day  of  salvation  gives  me 
light  and  alacrity  to  walk  before  Thee  in  the  paths  of 
peace  and  holiness.  How  many  complain  that  they 
have  no  star!  — by  which  they  mean,  no  good  fortune. 
For  my  part,  I  have  a  most  propitious  one ;  and  that 
art  Thou,  Lord  Jesus,  the  bright  and  morning  star, 
from  whom  I  derive  success  and  blessing  on  all,  and  in 
all  things  which  in  Thy  name  I  attempt  and  under- 
take. 


CXCVI. 


T  happened  that  a  royal  personage  made  his  en- 
trance into  a  town  with  great  pomp  and  solem- 
nity, and  that  a  friend  of  Gotthold's  was  heard  to 
_     say,  on  the  occasion,  that  he  wished  he  were  a 
'       prince,  to  enjoy  such  splendor.     To  this  Gotthold 
answered  :    You  do  not  know  what  you  wish.     What  is 
all  this  magnificence  —  the  costly  robes,  the  long  guard 
in  van  and  rear,  the  brilliant  reception  —  but  a  specious 


302  THE  ROYAL    ENTRANCE. 

disguise  of  the  thousand  hardships  and  cares  which  bur- 
den royalty  ?  A  worthy  Christian  prince  may  have 
many  servants  around  him,  and  yet  he  must  himself  be 
the  servant  of  all  his  subjects.  Others  have  their  several 
offices  and  duties,  but  he  is  responsible  for  all.  He 
must  have  a  watchful  eye,  and  wake  when  others  sleep  ; 
an  acute  ear,  to  hear  in  a  moment  the  complaints  of  the 
oppressed  ;  an  eloquent  mouth,  to  decide  justly  in  cares 
of  dispute ;  and  an  active  hand,  to  punish  the  guilty 
and  redress  the  innocent.  His  head  must  be  a  fountain 
of  grave  and  weighty  thoughts  for  the  benefit  of  his 
country,  and  his  heart  a  repository  of  anxieties  of  every 
kind.  As  the  summit  of  a  lofty  mountain  is  most  ex- 
posed to  frost  and  tempests,  and  frequently  covered  deep 
with  snow,  which,  when  melted,  irrigates  and  fertilizes 
the  valleys  around,  even  so  a  prince  is  indeed  exalted 
above  others,  but  on  that  very  account  is  peculiarly 
liable  to  adversities,  and  cumbered  with  burdens,  which 
redound  to  the  advantage  and  safety  of  his  realm.  He 
is  like  a  taper,  which  ministers  with  its  light  to  others, 
but  consumes  itself.  In  wishing  to  be  a  prince,  there- 
fore, you  wish  for  a  prince's  burden,  and  a  prince's 
troubles,  and,  what  is  worst  of  all,  for  a  prince's  respon- 
sibility at  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ. 

My  God !  for  my  part,  I  have  no  desire  to  be  any- 
thing but  what  Thou  hast  made  me.  I  grudge  not  the 
great  and  mighty  what  Thou  givest  to  them.  Nay,  I  know 
not  that  I  would  exchange  my  poverty  for  their  riches, 


THE    CIRCLES   ON  THE   WATER.  303 

my  solitude  for  their  attendance,  my  low  degree  for 
their  lofty  rank.  One  thing,  however,  I  do  implore: 
Let  me  reign  over  the  sin  that  dwells  in  my  nature. 
Teach  me  to  govern  myself,  and  grant  that  I  may  one 
day  be  permitted  humbly  to  enter  the  celestial  city, 
welcomed  by  Thy  holy  angels,  and  wearing  the  crown 
of  life. 


CXCYII. 

Ctrrltg  an  ijjne 


OTTHOLD  one  day  saw  a  boy  standing  upon 
the  bank  of  a  lake,  and  casting  pebbles  into 
its  smooth  and  tranquil  water.  The  effect 
was,  as  usual,  that  each,  as  it  fell,  pro- 
duced a  number  of  circles  upon  the  surface,  which 
were  small  at  first,  but  became  gradually  wider  and 
wider,  until  at  last  they  disappeared  from  the  view. 
Here,  said  he  to  himself,  I  have  a  pleasing  emblem 
of  my  inquisitive  mind,  when  it  applies  its  reflection 
to  the  calm  and  deep  ocean  of  divine  truth.  If  I 
begin  seriously  to  ponder  the  wondrous  dealings  and 
holy  purposes  of  my  God,  I  always  see  one  divine  bene- 
fit and  proof  of  wisdom  appearing  behind  another;  or 

20 


304  THE   PAPER-MILL. 

if  I  have  searched,  in  some  measure,  one  little  circle 
of  His  ways,  I  perceive  a  thousand  others,  all  widening 
as  they  recede,  which  at  last  fill  me  with  awe,  so  that 
I  stop  and  exclaim :  Oh,  the  depths  of  the  riches,  both 
of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God !  How  unsearch- 
able are  His  judgments,  and  His  ways  past  finding 
out.1  Many,  0  Lord,  my  God!  are  Thy  wonderful 
works,  which  Thou  hast  done,  and  Thy  thoughts  to 
us-ward.  They  cannot  be  reckoned  up  in  order  unto 
Thee.  If  I  would  declare  and  speak  of  them,  they  are 
more  than  can  be  numbered. 


CXCVIII. 


^SITING  a  paper-mill  one  day,  Gotthold  fell 
into  the  following  train  of  thought  :  And  so 
paper  —  that  article  so  useful  in  human  life, 
that  repository  of  all  the  arts  and  sciences, 
that  minister  of  all  governments,  that  broker  in  all 
trade  and  commerce,  that  second  memory  of  the  human 
mind,  that  stable  pillar  of  an  immortal  name  —  takes 

1  Romans  xi.  33. 


THE   PAPER-MILL.  305 

its  origin  from  vile  rags !  The  rag-dealer  trudges  on 
foot,  or  drives  his  cart  through  the  towns  and  villages, 
and  his  arrival  is  the  signal  for  searching  every  corner, 
and  gathering  every  old  and  useless  shred.  These  he 
takes  to  the  mill,  and  there  they  are  picked,  washed, 
mashed,  shaped,  and  sized ;  in  short,  formed  into  a 
fabric  beautiful  enough  to  venture  unabashed  even  into 
the  presence  of  monarchs  and  princes.  This  reminds 
me  of  the  resurrection  of  my  mortal  body.  When 
deserted  by  the  soul,  I  know  not  what  better  the  body 
is  than  a  worn  and  rejected  rag.  Accordingly,  it  is 
buried  in  the  earth,  and  there  gnawed  by  worms,  and 
reduced  to  dust  and  ashes.  If,  however,  man's  art  and 
device  can  produce  so  pure  and  white  a  fabric  as  paper 
from  filthy  rags,  what  should  hinder  God  by  His  mighty 
power  to  raise  from  the  grave  this  vile  body  of  mine, 
and  refine  and  fashion  it  like  unto  the  glorious  body  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  l 

Yes,  God  of  might !  Thou  canst  do  exceeding  abun- 
dantly above  all  we  can  ask  or  think.2  For  this  reason 
I  shall  be  willing  and  happy  to  die  whenever  it  is  Thy 
will,  for  I  know,  that  instead  of  this  body,  which  is 
needy  and  weak,  vile  and  corruptible,  Thou  wilt  give 
me  another,  which  will  be  holy  and  perfect,  vigorous 
and  immortal,  and  wilt  inscribe  upon  me,  as  upon  a 
spotless  sheet,  divine  wisdom,  celestial  brightness,  and 
ineffable  glory. 

1  Phil.  iii.  21.  2  Eph.  iii.  20. 


306  THE   SHOW-DISH. 


CXCIX. 


NSPECTINGa  show-dish,  which  had  been  made 
to  adorn  the  table  at  a  coming  banquet,  Gotthold 
^  began :  The  world  still  cherishes  her  ancient 
tastes,  and  seeks  enjoyment  in  vanity.  Right 

well  does  she  know  that  such  a  dish  as  this  is  a 
mere  painted  figure  of  wood,  wax,  and  other  mate- 
rials; and,  except  for  the  pains  and  labor  that  have 
been  spent  upon  it,  worth  little  or  nothing.  And 
yet  she  fancies  that  she  is  specially  honored  and  en- 
tertained when  so  worthless  a  thing  is  served  up,  and 
presented  for  a  while  to  her  view.  We  have  another 
instance  of  this  in  paintings.  I  have  seen  the  picture 
of  a  monk  —  of  an  old,  wrinkled  woman  —  of  a  beg- 
gar with  tattered  clothes  —  purchased  for  a  hundred, 
nay,  sometimes  for  more  than  a  thousand  dollars ;  and 
that  by  persons  who  would  have  scorned  to  waste  a 
word  upon  a  real  monk,  or  so  much  as  a  look  upon 
a  real  old  woman,  and  would  not  have  given  an  actual 
living  beggar  a  penny  to  keep  him  alive.  It  thus  ap- 
pears that  man  is  not  only  pleased  to  be  deceived  by 
a  skilful  hand,  but  even  rewards  the  deceptive  art  with 
large  sums  of  money.  Surely  every  man  walketh  in 


THE    CHRISTIAN    WITHOUT  A   CROSS.        307 

a  vain  show.1     What  is  their  pleasure  ?  Vanity.     What 
their  skill  ?  Deception.     What  their  honor  ?  Folly. 

My  God!  the  beautiful  firmament  —  the  work  of 
Thy  fingers  —  shall  be  my  show-dish,  and  the  cruci- 
fied Jesus  my  picture.  In  the  former,  I  contemplate 
what  Thy  hand  has  prepared  for  our  felicity  ;  in  the 
latter,  the  means  by  which  that  felicity  may  be  at- 
tained. Away  with  all  that  is  vain;  my  only  wish 
is  for  a  blessed  eternity. 


CC. 

t  C|mstiatt  toitfrout  a  Cross. 


NE  day  a  lady  of  rank  and  great  piety  com- 
plained that,  whereas  in  Scripture  the  cross  is 
everywhere  spoken  of  as  useful  and  necessary  for 
the  children  of  God,  yet  she,  for  her  part,  must 
acknowledge,  that  hitherto  the  Lord  had  never 
deemed  her  worthy  of  one,  and  that  this  often  raised 
within  her  melancholy  thoughts  and  doubts  whether  she 
was  one  of  His  children  or  not.  Gotthold  said  to  her : 
I  confess  that  complaints  like  yours  are  not  common, 
inasmuch  as  few  Christians  have  any  ground  to  lament 

1  Psalm  xxxix.  6. 


308  THE    CHRISTIAN    WITHOUT  A    CROSS. 

a  lack  of  the  cross,  while  others,  whose  share  of  it  is 
exceedingly  small,  nevertheless  imagine  that  it  is  quite 
as  large  as  they  are  able  to  bear;  and  in  particular, 
those  who  are  yet  unaccustomed  to  it,  are  prone  to 
fancy  that  their  cross  is  too  great  and  heavy  for  them. 
As  for  your  case,  however,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  are 
actually  bearing  a  cross  without  being  conscious  of  it. 
You  are  vexed  with  gloomy  thoughts  because  you  have 
110  cross.  These  gloomy  thoughts,  however,  appear  to 
me  to  be  themselves  a  considerable  cross,  and  also  a 
very  salutary  one  ;  for  they  not  only  evince,  but  nourish 
and  augment  your  desire  to  resemble  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  to  take  up  your  cross  and  follow  Him.  Besides, 
the  words  of  our  Saviour,  "  Whosoever  doth  not  bear 
his  cross,  and  come  after  Me,  cannot  be  My  disciple," 
relate  not  merely  to  the  common  hardships  of  human 
life,  but  are  also  and  especially  to  be  understood  of  the 
crucifixion  of  the  old  man,  of  his  sinful  lusts  and  de- 
sires, of  self-denial,  and  the  subjugation  of  the  will. 
For  the  rest,  we  cannot  and  ought  not  to  make  crosses 
for  ourselves,  for  this  would  end  in  hypocrisy.  The 
Lord  holds  the  cup  of  affliction  in  His  own  hand,  and 
pours  out  of  it  when  and  as  much  as  He  will.  That  He 
has  spared  you  hitherto,  acknowledge  with  humble 
gratitude  ;  He  is  the  searcher  of  our  hearts,  and  per- 
haps knew  that,  with  the  cross,  your  heart  would  not 
have  felt  towards  Him  as  it  has  done  without  it.  Recol- 
lect, however,  that  the  drama  of  your  life  has  not  yet 


THE    CHRISTIAN    WITHOUT  A    CROSS.         309 

been  played  to  the  end,  and  that,  for  aught  you  know, 
your  gracious  God  may  still  have  some  little  cross  in 
reserve  for  you,  to  be  imposed  in  due  time.  The  fiercest 
tempests  often  come  in  the  evening  of  the  finest  summer 
days,  and  it  is  after  the  pure  wine  has  been  run  off, 
that  the  lees  are  wont  to  follow.  It  ought  to  be  another 
ground  for  gratitude  to  God,  that  He  has  given  you 
time  to  prepare  for  all  emergencies,  and  provide  your- 
self with  the  armor  necessary  for  your  defence. 

Finally,  you  live  in  the  midst  of  Christians  who  are 
distressed  with  poverty  and  affliction,  and  groaning  un- 
der crosses  of  all  kinds ;  and,  being  a  member  of  the 
body  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  you  will  sympathize  with  them, 
your  fellow-members,  and  take  their  sufferings  and  pri- 
vations to  heart.  When  you  see  any  mourner,  mourn 
with  him  and  cheer  him.  To  him  who  falls  and  is 
ready  to  sink  beneath  the  weight  of  his  cross,  stretch 
out  a  friendly  hand,  and  help  him  to  rise.  Feed  the 
hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  give  drink  to  the  thirsty,  let 
your  superfluities  be  the  source  from  which  the  wants 
of  pious  Christian  brethren  are  supplied.  In  this  man- 
ner make  yourself  a  partaker  of  the  afflictions  of  others, 
and  render  to  them  the  service  which  Simeon  of  Cyrene 
did  to  our  Lord  Jesus,  by  helping  them  to  bear  their 
cross.  By  enlisting  into  their  company,  you  will  be 
sure  to  pass  as  one  of  the  genuine  cross-bearers. 

Lord  Jesus !  give  me  the  mind  of  Thine  apostle,  who 
knew  both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry,  botli  to  abound 


310  GOOD    WEATHER. 

and  suffer  want.1  If  Thou  spare  me,  I  will  thank  and 
fervently  love  Thee  ;  and  if  Thou  layest  a  cross  upon  me, 
I  will  still  thank  and  love  Thee  no  less.  What  know  I 
what  is  good  for  me  ?  But  Thou  knowest  it,  for  Thou 
knowest  all  things. 


CCI. 


)HE  weather  had  been  warm  and  pleasant  for 
several  successive  weeks,  when  some  one  ex- 
claimed :  Alas  !  what  will  come  of  these  sultry 
days?  What  must  be  the  consequences  of  so 
long  a  tract  of  sunshine,  without  a  drop  of 
rain?  Gotthold  replied:  What  say  you?  Are  you 
displeased  that  Heaven  is  kind,  and  that  the  fair  sun 
has  been,  as  it  were,  smiling  upon  us  for  so  long  a 
time  ?  Yes,  rejoined  the  other  ;  but  we  must  look  be- 
fore us  ;  for,  as  the  crops  in  the  field  and  the  fruit  in 
the  garden  are  in  the  meanwhile  drying  up  and  with- 
ering, these  kind  smiles  of  the  heavens  may  probably 
cause  bitter  weeping  upon  earth.  Well,  said  Gotthold, 
if  that  be  the  case,  let  this  weather  remind  us  that  tem- 
poral prosperity,  which  is  usually  compared  to  pleasant 

1  Phil.  iv.  12. 


GOOD    WEATHER.  311 

sunshine,  frequently  proves  as  little  beneficial  to  us,  as 
continued  good  weather  to  the  crops.  The  dense  and 
gloomy  clouds  which,  with  their  discharges  of  thunder 
and  lightning,  shake  and  terrify  the  earth,  and  water 
it  with  drenching  rain,  are  not  pleasant;  but  they 
make  the  herb  of  the  field  rejoice,  and  man  and  beast 
along  with  it.  Light  comes  out  of  the  darkness,  and 
blessing  accompanies  the  rain.  Similar  are  the  effects 
of  trouble  and  adversity  upon  the  mind.  They  cause 
pain  and  sorrow,  but  are  succeeded  by  spiritual  and 
divine  satisfaction  and  joy.  On  the  contrary,  a  long 
continuance  of  temporal  prosperity  is  wont  to  be  the 
harbinger  of  some  great  misfortune,  or  even  of  eternal 
perdition,  as  we  see  in  the  case  of  the  rich  man  in  the 
gospel,  and  a  thousand  others.  For  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  you  will  search  longer  for  one  individual 
whom  misfortune  and  adversity  have  driven  to  despair 
and  ruin,  than  for  a  thousand  whom  success  and  pros- 
perity have  undone.  Let  us,  therefore,  at  all  times  be 
suspicious  of  our  good  fortune ;  and  just  as,  on  sultry 
days  like  this,  we  are  assiduous  in  watering  our  gar- 
dens, that  the  crops  may  not  wither,  so  in  the  time  of 
our  prosperity  let  us  be  diligent  in  prayer,  that  God 
may  not  deny  us  His  grace,  nor  take  away  from  us  His 
Holy  Spirit,  and  that  so  by  His  governance  we  may 
walk  prudently  and  humbly,  and  never  pervert  our 
temporal  prosperity  into  the  means  of  our  eternal 
wretchedness. 


312  TAKING    PILLS. 

ecu. 
Caking  fills. 

iN  invalid  who  had  been  ordered  a  couple  of  pills, 
took  them  very  absurdly  ;  for,  in  place  of  swal- 
lowing them  at  once,  he  rolled  them  about  in 
his  mouth,  ground  them  to  pieces,  and  so  tasted 
their  full  bitterness.  Gotthold  was  present,  and 
thus  mused  :  The  insults  and  calumnies  of  a  slanderer 
and  adversary  are  bitter  pills,  and  all  do  not  understand 
the  art  of  swallowing  without  chewing  them.  To  the 
Christian,  however,  they  are  wholesome  in  many  ways. 
They  remind  him  of  his  guilt ;  they  try  his  meekness 
and  patience ;  they  show  him  what  he  needs  to  guard 
against,  and  at  last  they  redound  to  his  honor  and  glory 
in  the  sight  of  Him  for  whose  sake  they  were  endured. 
In  respect  to  the  pills  of  slander,  however,  as  well  as 
the  others,  it  is  advisable  not  to  roll  them  about 
continually  in  our  minds,  or  judge  of  them  according 
to  the  flesh,  and  the  world's  opinion.  This  will  only 
increase  their  bitterness,  spread  the  savor  of  it  to  the 
tongue,  and  fill  the  heart  with  proportional  enmity. 
The  true  way  is  to  swallow,  keep  silence,  and  forget.  We 
must  inwardly  devour  our  grief,  and  say :  I  will  be 
dumb  and  not  open  my  mouth,  because  Thou  didst  it.1 

1  Tsalm  xxxix.  2,  9. 


THE  BIRD    OF  PREY.  313 

The  best  antidotes  to  the  bitterness  of  slander,  are  the 
sweet  promises  and  consolations  of  Scripture,  of  which 
not  the  least  is  this:  Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall 
revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all  manner 
of  evil  against  you  falsely  for  My  sake.  Rejoice  and  be 
exceeding  glad,  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven.1 

Alas,  my  God  !  how  hard  it  is  to  swallow  the  pills  of 
obloquy !  to  bless  them  that  curse  me,  to  do  good  to 
them  that  hate  me,  and  to  pray  for  them  that  despite- 
fully  use  me !  But,  Lord,  as  Thou  wilt  have  it  so,  give 
it  as  Thou  wilt  have  it ;  for  it  is  a  matter  in  which,  with- 
out Thy  grace,  I  can  do  nothing. 


CCIII. 


FRIEND  mentioned  to  Gotthold  that  he  had 
seen  a  kite  hovering  in  the  air,  and  marking 
its  quarry,  and  inquired  of  him,  whether  so 
rapacious  a  bird  could  furnish  him  with  a 
theme  for  edifying  thought.  To  this  Gotthold 
replied :  Why  not  ?  Such  a  bird  delights  in  the  free 
air,  and  soars  aloft,  as  if  it  would  fain  approach  to 

1  Matt.  v.  11, 12. 


314  FEEDING    THE  HENS. 

Leaven ;  all  the  while,  however,  it  keeps  its  sharp  eye 
continually  directed  to  the  earth,  if  haply  it  may  there 
spy  and  seize  a  prey.  And  like  it  are  hypocrites  ;  they 
love  to  speak  of  heavenly  and  spiritual  things ;  they  go 
to  church,  and  take  the  holy  supper ;  they  read,  and 
pray,  and  sing ;  but,  nevertheless,  their  heart  retains 
its  earthly  inclination,  and  they  seek  that  which  is 
temporal  more  than  that  which  is  eternal. 


CCIY. 


amusement,  a  gentleman  used  to  throw 
crumbs  of  bread,  and  occasionally  a  handful 
of  barley,  to  his  hens,  from  the  parlor  win- 
dow. By  this  means  they  had  not  merely 
learned  the  custom  of  rushing,  to  it  the  mo- 
ment it  opened,  but  likewise  often  stationed  them- 
selves beneath  it,  and  signified  by  their  cries  that 
they  had  a  boon  to  beg.  Gotthold  saw  this,  and  ob- 
served: Hens  do  to  us  as  we  do  to  God.  He  has 
often  heard  our  cry,  and  given  us  the  blessings  we 
required  for  our  spiritual  and  bodily  nourishment,  and 
has  thereby,  so  to  speak,  habituated  us  to  resort  to 


THE    CONCLUSION.  315 

Him  on  all  occasions,  and  never  to  desist  till  we  again 
receive  His  gifts ;  and  this  He  does,  although  we  are 
less  profitable  to  Him  than  hens  are  to  us.  I  have 
often  wondered  at  the  boldness  shown  by  His  children 
in  their  intercourse  with  Him,  and  not  less  at  the  lov- 
ing-kindness and  benignity  of  so  great  a  potentate,  in 
not  only  bidding  us  pray,  but  declaring  that  He  is  well 
pleased  when,  in  our  prayers,  we  are  not  merely  bold, 
but,  if  I  may  so  say,  shameless. 


CCY. 


God !  I  conclude  this  book,  as  I  began  it, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Its  good  thoughts,  if 
any  such  it  contain,  are  but  sparks  of  Thy 
heavenly  light ;  and  whither  ought  the  flame 
to  point,  or  to  whom  aspire,  but  to  Thee  ?  All 
glory,  honor,  and  praise,  are  justly  Thine ;  and  seeing, 
as  I  do,  that  of  myself  I  am  unequal  to  the  task  of 
praising  Thee  for  the  goodness  which  Thou  hast  shown 
me  all  my  life,  I  have  tried  if  I  could  not  by  these 
meditations  stir  up  the  hearts  of  others,  and  prevail 
upon  them  to  unite  with  me  in  praising  Thee  as  the 


316  THE   CONCLUSION. 

glorious,  loving,  merciful,  only  wise,  and  righteous  God. 
As  the  fire  was  mine  which  kindled  their  oblation,  I 
wished  to  look  upon  it,  although  offered  upon  anoth- 
er's altar,  as  in  some  measure  coming  from  me.  0  my 
God !  could  I  publish  Thy  praise  with  a  thousand 
tongues  and  hearts,  and  prolong  it  through  all  eternity, 
it  would  still  fall  short  of  Thy  deserts.  Thou  hast 
merited  infinitely  more  at  my  hands.  Let  this  book, 
then,  praise  Thee  ;  or  rather,  let  it  be  a  testimony  how 
willingly  I  would  publish  and  extend  Thy  praise,  and 
show  forth  Thy  goodness  to  all  the  world,  not  only  dur- 
ing my  life,  but  even  after  my  decease.  If,  however, 
there  be  anything  in  the  book  which  has  not  been  medi- 
tated on  with  the  devotion,  humility,  and  awe,  nor  im- 
parted to  others  with  the  tender  affection  required  by 
Thy  majesty  and  my  own  duty,  mercifully  forgive  it ; 
and  remember  that  even  the  holiest  thoughts  have  been 
pondered  in  a  sinful  heart,  the  words  uttered  by  a  hu- 
man tongue,  and  the  pen  wielded  by  an  unclean  hand. 
Yet  still  I  am,  and  forever  shall  be,  Thy  servant. 


THE     END. 


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